Those 520 cenz
by SomeDrunkSheep
Summary: In urgent need of money, Edward Elric borrowed 520 cenz from Roy Mustang, vowing he would return them only when the Flame Alchemist became Fuhrer of Amestris, not knowing that he will closely watch him in his ascension to the top. RoyEd, M rated.
1. 1 - His only train

A/N: Mornin' here! I've decided to upload this multi-chapter story which has been bothering me for some time now and I hope it's good enough... I am pretty much excited about it, so please give it a chance :D Oh, and I also hope the FmA fandom is still alive, it's been some time since the series had their triumphant final chapter. But good things never die, huh?

Anyway, I wait for your reviews!

Warnings: It is M rated, which means it will have a M rated plot. If you are offended by it, don't flame and keep on searching a story you'd like. It is RoyEd and everything that comes with it.

Disclaimer: I don't quite get why everyone writes a disclaimer when it's obvious the author wouldn't write fanfiction, but nevertheless - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, I only own the OCs and the plot.

Now, let's get on with the story.

* * *

Chapter 1 – His only train

"No, no, no, NO!" the teen screamed under the thick layers of bed sheets. He had a nightmare. Him, the great Fullmetal Alchemist, Major Edward Elric, had a nightmare and was ashamed to admit that it wasn't his first or his last.

Edward managed to bring back his brother's body, giving up his alchemical powers as an equivalent toll. However, the ex-Colonel (now promoted to Brigadier-General) made the impossible to retrieve his lost skills, almost obliging his very own blindness. With a superhuman effort, Roy Mustang managed to exchange a mere philosopher's stone for both his eyesight and Edward's talent. Of course, the boy had to also pay the bargain with his right arm once again, but he was already used to missing a few limbs, so who cared? Definitely, not him, and dear Winry Rockbell must have been more than thankful for the extra work. Alphonse, on the other hand, was enraged by his older brother's stupidity, but he kept it to himself. The blond must have had some kind of reason in his dumb head.

And he'd be damned if he had any. It'd been some kind of proposal from a totally blind dark haired man who offered his help in return. Mustang just couldn't help to leave a subordinate behind. The bargain had been simple and efficient – Roy had the red stone from Tim Marcoh and Edward had the means to open the portal to knowledge. They would pass together through the portal, and for the artefact they would get what they have lost. The blond accepted knowing very well that the exchange was unfair (his abilities for people's souls?! Where's the equivalence in that?) and mostly futile. Oh, and that he would have to give up something as well. As long as it was just a limb that he hasn't got anyway for so many years, it was fine by him. Stupidity had to be paid, by all means.

Of course, the raven haired alchemist had almost refused to retrieve his eyesight when he realized that Ed had to lose something. However, Marcoh's words rang loudly in his head the whole time. He needed his eyes to help his people. Edward eagerly agreed to aid the 'colonel bastard' in his quest and asked not too convinced the Truth to take his right arm. Again.

Surprisingly, the shiny person that caused him and his brother so much grief accepted the petty toll and even agreed to change Fullmetal's flesh arm with his former automail that was captured by the Gate when his arm was changed to living flesh, so the boy had to conclude it was a good exchange. Or at least cheap, as a prosthetic limb was quite expensive for his taste, no matter how much he earned.

"Quite a nice fellow, Truth. It must have a sadistic pleasure seeing me that he returned my automail" were Edward's first words after he set foot to earth in his new (though more likely former) body. Mustang looked like a little kid who got a candy from his mother, and even muttered a silent "Thank you" to the smaller alchemist, who nodded an even quieter "You're welcomed". After that, they returned to their normal selves.

Almost normal selves.

As for now, Edward was panting hard, resting on his pillow. The queen sized bed was turned upside down under his weight. After the short visit to the Gate, Ed recovered his national alchemist license, so that meant he could sleep in the military dorms. So, here he was, nearly choking himself in horror from a livid nightmare. Apparently, his mind still didn't comprehend that his beloved little brother, Alphonse, has returned from the Gate in his original body. He still couldn't wipe off the memories of that horrible night in which he lost half of his limbs and his brother's body.

Nor could he turn back to sleep.

XXXXX

On the other side of Central City, Roy Mustang stared at his drink like it was the most interesting thing in the whole damned world. Maybe it was, and if not, it was far more interesting than him. He wasn't able to understand that the Fullmetal gave up his arm willingly. He just blamed himself senselessly, just as he blamed himself for Hughes' death, the huge number of victims in the Ishbalan War of Extermination, Havoc's paralysis (who, as a matter of fact, started walking on his own two feet after being helped by Roy's red stone), a random dog's barking, his faraway neighbour's lack of cuisine skills and the fast consumption of soap in his house. What was the world's problem that he enjoyed a long shower after an even longer day at work? For all he knew, nothing's better than ten showers in a day... perhaps eleven would do the trick. But that definitely wasn't the point why he first developed and then deepened his insomnia. That's one of the main reasons why he was alone in his living room, still in military dress pants, toasting with the air and talking with his shadow like a madman. To hell with it – he'd get insane before having the chance to even think of taking over the military! Wait, he found a spot on the ceiling. That was a major issue, he mused.

After pondering for an hour what to do with the spot, he frantically started to clean the surface. Happy with his work, he finished his tenth or something drink in that night – shit, it was morning already – and then expertly escalated the stairs to the room he spent a lot of his spare time when he was alone at home – the bathroom. Because the bathroom had a shower.

Now, now, he became quite a hygiene freak, but to hell with it as well - after seeing such a mess in the Ishbalan war, he had a very good reason to shower so frequently, like he had some kind of plague. After all, he needed to look presentable no matter the weather. And talking about the weather – today was almost sure to rain. Bloody rain, it made the Flame even more useless.

XXXXX

*NIIIIPNIIIIPNIIIIP* a loud hornet echoed from the outside of the Brigadier-General's house. The raven alchemist stumbled on the stairs and cursed the heavens for the many corners of his house. He left the quiet mansion with a look that spoke of the most bored man's determination.

As usual, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye opened the car's door for him with a death glare than screamed extra paperwork (anyway, why on earth did he have so much paperwork to do?! I mean, there was paperwork to do even for opening the goddamn window, for fuck's sake!).

"Good morning, Sir" she stated plainly behind the wheel. The ex-colonel nodded a "Mornin', Lieutenant" and threw himself on the dead's seat. Heh, the name suited him just fine.

XXXXX

Three hours passed since the tired alchemist got to his office and nothing interesting occurred, besides mounts of paperwork efficiently passed to him by the blond female Lieutenant. It was decided – he will die of paperwork overdose.

The deafening silence was abruptly interrupted by the trademark affray of the Fullmetal alchemist.

"What do you want this time, Bastard?" The older man lifted his jet-black eyes from the utterly idiotic report he was frying his remaining neurons with and crooked his best smile.

"Fullmetal, I see you still have to learn how to enter your commanding officer's office" he said smirking to his lame pun and returned his eyes nonchalantly to the annoying paper.

"Whatever! Why did you call me on my day off? I had my brother visiting, but it seems that your half assed face is far more important!" the still rather short blond pouted in frustration.

Hooray. Not just his headache, he also needed the Edwardian hurricane on his head today. The higher ranked officer sighed and replied calmly "I don't have the faintest idea why you were called at HQ" he lifted his shoulders to emphasize his dumbness on the subject, without moving his eyes to the raging teen.

"Like you ever have! You mean I came for nothing?" he spoke hopelessly. The door opened behind him and Riza entered with her usual stern face, on which a small comforting smile was plastered.

"Hello, Edward, I was the one who called you. Apparently, your registration for a day off was declined, since we have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry and I promise tomorrow you'll be completely free to do whatever you want" she finished her explanation by handing Roy another fresh row of paperwork.

"Bloody thing, why is there so much paperwork?!" he snarled, but the woman immediately replied "Sir, you know that Lieutenant Colonel Granderburg is on inspection in the West, don't you? It means you have to look over his daily reports. Oh, Edward, here's your task for the day. Finish it quickly and go home. Sorry for the inconvenience"

The younger man took the yellow dossier and cast a glance at its contents. Second hooray for the day – looking for hidden incriminating documents was his favourite duty at HQ. Well, he pretty much enjoyed it since he had access to a bunch of new leads for his now non-existent goal. Perhaps he could find a new one!

Edward could think anything about him not having any aims, when in fact, he had already found his new goal to accomplish, and that was to help the always smirking Bastard that was behind the old mahogany desk. And, to be frank, he didn't have the faintest idea why. He comically thought that he wanted to wipe of his debt of 520 cenz he had burrowed a few years ago from Roy and promised to give them back when he fulfilled his goal of becoming the Fuhrer, but he knew it was just stardust. That was not the real reason. If there was one to begin with.

Nevertheless, he chose this new path. He wanted the best for the people of Amestris, so the military was the one to be aided first. Grumman, the new Fuhrer, changed most of its administration, sending his best men in each region. The only region who kept its general was the North, where the 'Northern Wall of Briggs', also known as Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong, remained in her frozen chair. Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was requested to take care of Central Region, the heart of the country, so that he could ease his access to state command when Grumman retired. The proposal raised quite the uproar, but everyone had to make-do with it.

The still young Flame was troubled by the very same thing, and the story started when he set foot in the newly renovated HQ. Besides his old pawns, a new pawn bowed to his all-mightiness – Edward Elric. The little walking atomic bomb joined his side. With no gain in mind. Damn it if that's daily occurrence!

To put it frankly, the effervescent blond didn't know what to do with his life. He couldn't rot in some city without any action at hand, and it seemed that the pale faced Mustang was his only available train. So they started rolling together.

* * *

A/N: TADAAA first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll upload soon (I have some of the next chapters almost done). Review please!


	2. 2 - Breakfast with the enemy

A/N: Mornin', mornin', guys.

Same disclaimer and warnings as in the previous chapter, I think I don't need to repeat myself. I don't own anything, dammit! But about the warnings - I didn't get to the part everyone waits. But I'm getting there, alright?

So, leave me a review! It helps a lot! Now, on with the story...

* * *

Chapter 2 – Breakfast with the enemy

After six and a half long hours of working, the eldest Elric nearly busted the already severely abused door of Roy's office, the poor thing being opened as brutal as in the morning.

"Finished, Bastard!" the boy grinned and threw a large envelope on the cramped desk, making the yawning man behind it jump out of his skin. The man seated himself back in the comfy chair and yawned again.

"Heh, Mustang, slacking off duty for a quick nap between papers?" Ed asked jokingly.

"Neah, the Lieutenant would shoot my brains off if I did" the sleepy officer mimicked a gun with his gloved hands.

"Whatever, I doubt it'd make any difference. If she shoots you, you'd only have your whole life to sleep. By the way, I'm outta here. Salute the Lieutenant for me" the blond waved his automail hand goodbye and left the large room. The older couldn't help chuckling to the simple thought of dying when he had so much work to do, and realised the luxury of being put to rest. Anyway, if he died, Hawkeye would kill him for that. Efficient woman, she was.

XXXXX

Without the prospect of being fully able to enjoy a night off or a quiet death, Roy wandered the most obscure streets of the well-lit city. He deeply hated the light that penetrated the night's darkness, like an unfaithful lover. The night was made to be dark, so why all the sudden light?! 'Heh, I must have lost my eyesight for quite a while to think like that... but it seems it made me reconsider my surroundings' he told to himself as he paced aimlessly, eyes set high in the far distance.

Indeed, he realised once again who his true friends were and, for some twisted reasons, the Fullmetal was one of the most valuable, despite their discrepancies. In fact, Roy started considering all their quarrels as friendly fights, because he truly cared for his subordinate, just as he cared for all his subordinates. His best friends, to be truthfully said.

Funnily enough, the said alchemist also saw the raven man as an annoying friend you couldn't get rid of, that got under your skin when you weren't paying attention. There was some sort of bond between them after all those years flying kites together.

XXXXX

A wise man said there were no such things as coincidence in life, that there's only fate. It wasn't a coincidence that Roy entered a random bar in which he found Edward drinking alone. He grinned and headed for the blond.

"Hello, Fullmetal" he startled the teen with his deep voice.

"What the-oh, it's you, bastard" the blond pouted.

"Yes, no one but me. Mind if I join?"

"You have no dogs to beslave? No gas to burn? No widows to rape?" Ed said pulling out a chair with his leg for the unwanted guest.

"Not for tonight, and I don't have to rape any widows. Everyone is willing enough" he cracked his signature perfect smile.

"Pervert. How come you're alone, Mustang?"

"Same for you. Wasn't today your day off with your brother?"

"For your personal knowledge, it's 3 in the morning. Unlike you, people tend to sleep at night" Ed rolled his golden eyes.

"Apparently, you don't" Edward looked beat up at the man. Yeah, he was still awake in the middle of the night.

"So what? I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight, right, useless bastard?" Roy just nodded and smiled sweetly at the rather attractive waitress as he asked for a double whisky. Looking at the boy, he immediately changed his order with a whole bottle of the said liquor. "It's on me, Fullmetal. It seems we will spend some time in here"

"Not like I have to agree to that"

"Neah, you don't. But I know you will stay"

"Fine, old man" Ed nodded with a tiny smile. "As long as you are paying!"

The night passed eventless. The two alchemists drunk their loneliness together and rememorized golden moments of their previous quest, like two old pals.

XXXXX

The night at the bar with the former colonel truly had been something nice, the Fullmetal thought to himself. He didn't want to admit, but the older man's company seemed to be a quite comfortable refuge from his own problems. He arrived at his dorm to find an upset Alphonse in the door.

"Brother, where have you been till this hour of the nig-morning! It's almost eight! And you reek of alcohol!" A genuine worry was plastered on Al's pale complex.

"Neah, don't worry, Al. I just went out with... some friends from work?" he said unconvinced.

"Okay... but you should get some sleep, if not, who knows? Maybe you'll shorten!" the boy teased, taking the bait.

"Who are you to call me a shrimp you can barely see with a magnifier?!" the older brother argued poorly. He was tired, really.

"I didn't say that! Go to bed, now! It's your day off, so I'll wake you up later" Al waved off his sibling.

"Don't you dare, Al! I know where you're living!" Ed averted. It was a very bad idea to wake up the acid man, no matter how late it was. His brother knew better than to do that unless he wanted a few broken bones, but he could at least tease Edward, who just threw himself on the nearest bed and instantly fell asleep.

XXXXX

Three nights passed similarly. After a long talk with Edward, the exhausted Brigadier-General walked home to quickly get changed for work (after a refreshing shower). Hawkeye arrived a little earlier and knocked at his door. He opened it and let the woman inside with a little smile. Seeing an imminent rainstorm coming and a simply determinationless man in front of her fighting to maintain some kind of fresh facade and failing miserably, she instructed him to stay home. The man wanted to argue, but his primal instinct to run from work told him better. Though he didn't like her kindness...

He yawned and showed Riza the way to the living room. Surprisingly, the house which always looked like there were a whole lot of people, though only one lived there, seemed awfully empty and... to put it frankly, dead. The alchemist took a sit on the couch and stretched himself, motioning for the woman to sit as well. Remembering his manners, he asked his assistant if she wanted something to drink. Hawkeye stood dangerously still in front of him, almost towering his figure, and completely ignoring his kind question. "Sir, pardon my intrusion, but when was the last time you slept?"

Roy looked confused at her, but responded nonetheless, trying not to alarm the female officer. "Err... a few hours... ish... days? Not too many, of course"

Her eyes were glaring daggers back at him. "Mind telling me what is the reason why you can't sleep? Excuse me, but you look like a wreck, not to say your house looks like you haven't spent the night in it"

Mustang began to get irritated by her insistence and replied authoritative "Lieutenant, it is a matter that does not concern you"

"Roy, if you get ill over your idiocy, fine by me. But don't involve others"

"Excuse me?! What do you mean, may I ask?" he immediately retorted, knowing very well what his all-knowing adjuvant wanted to say.

"You know very well what I mean. Alphonse Elric called me to ask why Edward looks so tired when he comes home. In the morning" Shoot. He was so damn right from the beginning.

"Is there something with Fullmetal, Hawkeye? Did Al say something?" Roy tried to discriminate himself.

"Don't think I don't see what you're doing. It's great you two get along, but you both need some rest! Yesterday, you almost fell asleep on duty!" Mustang sighed defeated and almost wanted to ask how she found out about their 'bar research'.

"It's not that hard to read you after all these years, and even when I can't do it, you are the one who gives the needed clues. Him coming home late, you passing out in the middle of work... it's not that hard to put two and two together" she answered his unspoken question.

"Alright, I see. Fullmetal and I work on a very delicate alchemical project, and we need to discuss key-essential matters. I would kindly ask not to interfere, because the results are to be shown later. I assure you will be the first to see them. Might be revolutionary" he said, not really sure if it was a viable truth or even a lie, if he thought of this better. Indeed, him and Edward were talking about elaborating some formulas concerning a combination between Xing and Amestris' alchemy, but they were just theorizing over alcohol. How trustable can that sort of thinking can be?

"Revolutionary? Sir, I don't see what's revolutionary in you working you into exhaustion, but fine, if you two have something in mind that might help the people of this country, go ahead. I'll help if I can" she nodded and showed signs of leaving the house. Roy followed and saluted her formally before closing the door and collapsing on the floor. If Hawkeye knew what he was talking about, or more likely his motives, she'd probably kill him.

Now he even had to come up with a good alchemy theory! Damn his luck and his mouth.

XXXXX

After a whole day off, the small Mustang mansion looked like it suffered a little explosion. Everything was scattered all over the place, the study and living room were a mess and it smelled of gunpowder. But it was totally worth it – Roy managed to try a new style of alchemy, one that combined both deconstruction-reconstruction techniques and purification arts. Or at least he managed to destroy half of his house.

Did he say that theorizing over alcohol was no good? He was deadly mistaken.

Let's say his experiment of what he had talked with Fullmetal in their bar escapades was a resounding success, but one thing was for sure – he had no idea why he had to try it indoors. How sane could be a man who blows up his house voluntarily? But who suggested he was sane, to begin with.

Musing to his achievement, Roy started rearranging the destroyed interior. Humming, he picked everything up and put things in order – repaired the damaged furniture and stuff like that. He had to write down what he discovered purely incidental, to be honest.

A sudden knock pulled the alchemist out of his working trance. He hurried to the door, straightening his clothes. His serious face fell when he realised who was the one to disturb him.

"My, my, Fullmetal, what're – "

"Hello, not-even-general-shit. Care to explain why I've felt energy waves being pulled out of the ground?"

"Err?" the officer looked dumb folded.

"Dammit, Mustang, quit beating around the bush! Did you manage to combine our formulas? If you remembered them, you looked pretty smashed last night" the teen tapped the floor with his automail leg.

"Yes" the raven haired alchemist put it simply. "A success"

"I can see that, your house looks like a small war front" Edward stopped to pat his commanding officer on the shoulder with a dirty look "Heh, so that means we did it" A big grin formed on his young face.

"I mainly did it, but yes" the other one teased in his usual way. "Though I didn't even know if it was possible, our reasoning was flawless, but the environment, not so much"

"Bastard, you were the one dragging me out of the house" Edward softly punched Roy's shoulder. "I want a raise. And a promotion, do you hear me?" Mustang grinned even bigger at that, showing his perfect white teeth.

If drinking for just a few nights with Fullmetal could get them to such results, he should buy more alcohol. Just in case.

XXXXX

The blond helped the Brigadier–General to clean up his house and the two started writing down the results of their little experiment. It was more than exciting, because their work guaranteed more of Mustang's notoriety and Fullmetal's fame, if they furthered it a tad. And they'd definitely get a promotion.

It was four in the morning when they finished the documentation. They were genuinely tired and Ed just couldn't bring himself to go home. Al had already left in the morning, leaving the small military dorm empty, but the real reason of the automail's user to stay wasn't just that. He was lonely.

Roy offered to house his subordinate, who accepted it hurriedly. They both fell asleep instantly on each other's shoulder, on the floor, surrounded by a fort of papers and books.

The morning came too soon, Roy being the first to fully wake helped by Ed's automail smoothly implanted in his forearm. Damn the boy's rolling in sleep and trying to kill him with a metal arm!

In fact, Edward wasn't the kind to roll in sleep. A nightmare started playing in his head and only the soothing touch of the man beside him pulled him out of the induced horror.

"Fullmetal! Hey, Fullmetal... Edward?" Roy gently shook the small frame.

"Err? Wah! What're you doing?! Let go of me, Mustang!" the boy blushed hearing his name and hid his face behind his long bangs. What a way of waking up.

"I was saving my face from your right hand! Did you have a bad dream?" the commanding officer rubbed his forearm absent minded.

"No! What makes you say that?" he sounded guilty as charged, but Roy overlooked that fact. He distanced himself from the youngster and flew to the kitchen to find something to eat.

"Hey, Fullmetal! Coffee?" Roy yelled from the rather large kitchen.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, black! With lots of sugar!" Ed replied with a shout.

Roy came back to the living room with two hot mugs of good smelling coffee, two sandwiches and two raspberry croissants. "Breakfast! Make some room on the table, please" he announced from the door.

"My, my, did you really get prepared for my arrival?" Edward teased.

"Neah, you're just lucky. Hawkeye came last morning to tell me to stay home for the day and she brought with her these" he reached for Fullmetal's plate and gave it to him.

"Great, I'll remember to thank her. I'm starving!"

They ate their breakfast in silence, mainly because Ed busied himself with stuffing food in his mouth. Roy stared with a sweet little smile at the younger man and watched his every facial muscle while eating. He really wondered why the boy woke up so violently and, by the way – why did he spend the night there, with him, when he could have just gone to the dorms? They weren't so far away...

He couldn't complain, nevertheless.

* * *

A/N: Okay, okay, let's say it wasn't too bad. Next chapter will have more interaction and I'll post it soon. Thanks for reading and review, will you?


	3. 3 - To be accused of smth you didn't do

A/N: Mornin', here! This time, some real development. Lots of swears ahead and some graphic content, and from now on, these warnings will always be in full form. As usual, I don't own anything besides what's obvious I own (plot and OCS).

Oh, and because I didn't mention and I should have - the first chapter is set about an year after the Promised Day.

Don't forget to review/favourite/follow/do whatever has to be done! Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 3 – To be accused of something you didn't do

Nearly two months passed since the two alchemists' discovery. Indeed, their research proved to be a resounding success, that big that they both got a promotion and a substantial raise. It sounded like an abuse of power to many, but for Mustang, the presidency was closer than ever, whereas for the blond hot headed man, the whole ordeal made him fume with frustration. All meant he needed to spend a lot more time with the man he was supposed to hate like no other, but in fact he started considering the new invested General the best friend possible and even more than just that. True, Winry was his best childhood friend, but Roy was his best adulthood (sort of, at least) friend. They've been through more than he wanted to remember and was shamefully dependant on the raven haired officer's presence. It felt like home, strangely so.

To make matters worse, Roy started relaying on his aide for more complicated and delicate missions and he even fulfilled them by his side. In Central, they were called the "Fire and Metal" team, and their fame spread its wings all over the country and even in other states over the night. Edward was caught in the tornado and started working diligently for his officer in command's goal.

With nothing to gain, the older Elric remained by the Flame's side to find himself developing the most embarrassing feelings for the other, something he hoped with all his heart to be one-sided. All he needed was an inappropriate relationship with the General. That'd mean all their efforts were in vain and they'd get their ticket for a life of shame. Or maybe...

"No! The hell is wrong with you, Edward?!" the blond scolded at himself. He was writing a report about his mission in the East, where he was sent to make sure everything went well for the Ishbalans. The Ishbalan Law was by any means a very good project, as it turned out to be beneficial for both Amestris and its people. The black skinned and red eyed population had been willing to help the state to reconsolidate itself for the small price of protection and liberty of religion. The new Fuhrer approved Mustang's law project and agreed to have regular check-ups of the situation.

Edward walked the long and monotonous corridors of the Central HQ with the said report in his flesh hand. Entering the door that pompously read "Commanding Officer – General Roy Mustang", he threw some salutes to the small crew of trustworthy men and noticed the Flame seated behind his mahogany desk in front of Jean Havoc, talking business. The former officer remained in Roy's service and was just as loyal to him as he was when he was paid by the state. He was more like a shadow for the man's undercover missions and called the quits in many dangerous situations. Who would have thought the sheepish "Jacqueline" could turn into one of the most influential traders?

After taking over his family shop, Jean expanded the small firm into a commercial empire. Helped by Roy, he obtained authorisations for importing almost everything, so he could provide the man with the needed equipment.

Despite being discharged, there he was, having a chat with the General. Hearing the runt saluting, he turned around in his chair and waved his hand "Hey, chief! How've ya been?"

Edward smiled poorly and returned the salute. "Hello, Havoc! I see your legs look so much better! Any trouble when walking?"

Not noticing the discomfort in Ed's eyes, Jean responded happily, shaking his smoking hand "None at all! I mean, they're like nothing ever happened. The boss truly did something amazing with'em and thanks to you too, here I am!" Havoc pressed his hands to his chest, as to emphasize his presence.

"Good to have you back" Fullmetal smiled and threw his report without looking at the man behind the desk. Roy instantly felt the blond's distress, but didn't even flinch. He'd do his questioning later. He hated knowing one of his subordinates was indisposed.

Hawkeye interrupted his train of thoughts when she flashed her gun to the smoker. "Havoc, how many times do I have to repeat myself about not smoking in the office?" Jean's cheeks flushed. Mustang immediately took his part "Lieutenant, no need to flame. I have allowed Havoc to smoke. I am not bothered by it, nor are the others. Are you?" he spoke in a deep and calm voice. Perhaps he shouldn't be so rude to the woman, but his mood didn't help.

Riza looked dumbfounded at the statement, but quickly recovered. "No, I am not. I don't want the furniture to smell of nicotine and smoke. But I see the windows are opened, so fine by me, Sir" Roy nodded and continued his discussion.

Edward exited the office scared by Roy's unusual demeanour. He always agreed to Hawkeye's suggestions, but this time he was totally defiant. As if he was his own boss. After all, he was in charge of the whole damn city and most of the other regions. Next step, the whole country.

XXXXX

Lost deep in his reading, Edward didn't notice the silhouette behind him in the empty section of the national library.

"Hello, Fullmetal. A very good report, this time. Seems you have finally learnt how to write one" Roy's deep voice spoke in the absence of a more intelligent start of conversation.

Edward turned his head a bit surprised and angry that the bastard preferred fooling around with him instead of talking to him as an equal. "The hell?" he argued. He couldn't bring himself to shout. "What do you want, General?"

Getting past the mocking tone, he stated bluntly "Something is bothering you"

"And how did you reach this conclusion?"

"It's not that hard to read you after all these years working together. You never enter that silently in my office; you always bust the door and barge in. Or maybe you've just grown, huh?" the General teased.

Visibly enraged, Edward got to his feet and yelled "Well, that's so intelligent! Bastard, don't you have a country to overrule, some empire to destroy? Some whore to take out that stupid pent-up of yours to prevent you from annoying me? Don't you-"

Roy patiently listened to the display and worried himself what really bothered his young subordinate. "-see that I was reading?! Fuck off, bastard!" Instead of determining the other to leave, Ed stormed past Mustang and out of the private reading room.

The General kept his cool, but deep inside he boiled. He considered himself Edward's friend, but the teen just tossed his friendship away like garbage. He proceeded into following the blond, but apparently, the said youngster created a door on an exterior wall and flew away. Sighing, Roy clapped his hands and transformed the door back to its original status.

XXXXX

Edward barged into his dorm, fuming over his idiocy. Maybe he went too harsh on the poor man. He merely wanted to help. How could he know that he was the cause of his distress?

Not knowing what to do, the blond went out to cool off his overheated brain. It hurt him to think that he was all over the most notorious womanizer there was and the biggest bastard he ever met. He was selfish, rude, unscrupulous, profiteer, opportunist, not to mention nagging, annoying and... intelligent, good looking, quite loveable and a loyal friend. Damn, the man wasn't that bad, but at that moment, he was the public enemy number one in his eyes.

In fact, the ow-so-great Roy Mustang was a very lonely person. One would swear the man was an infatuated dissolute who had a date every night, though no one could really say that the rumours were true. The reality was a little different, as many of the women he supposedly dated were mere informants. Sure, he had his hot dates and all the common knowledge about his "nightly skills" was absolutely positive and unquestionable, but deep down himself, he hated this reputation. He never asked for such recognition, but his good looks helped in its alimentation. All he wanted was silence and darkness to waste his life in without interruption.

Unfortunately, Edward became aware of his well-hidden loneliness during the nights they spent together while working. No phone calls, no visitors, no house turned upside down, no compromising content. Just a normal man in a plain house. Obviously, Roy acted like he had taken the nights off to work, because the country was far more important than his personal life (not a lie, after all), and his lying face was so veridical that Ed's disgust for the man's womanizer acts didn't falter. That was at first. But there were too many signs that he didn't enjoy his need of spending the night in the company of so many complete stranger women that Elric's complex mind didn't have to work his brains out to discover the awkwardness of the situation.

Maybe the bastard was depressed and forgotten. Maybe he needed some real attention. Maybe he was working too hard.

Maybe Edward has lost his mind.

XXXXX

Roy returned home after the tiresome day. He began his routine – taking off his coat and shoes, faking eating something (mostly just staring at food and playing with the fork) and then drowning himself in alcohol and books. During the past months, his depression got worse. It was horrible to think that he killed so many, cheated more and did everything to fulfil his selfish goal. But that was just so like him – the I-know-everything smirking charming and overly-confident officer who resided on a thick mask of emotional impotence and sheer anguish. It was more like he didn't know what to do with his life, at the actual moment and angle. When did he grow up so ignorant of his own persona, when he looked after everyone?

And what the hell was wrong with Fullmetal? In the past few weeks, the teen avoided him and, in the rare moments when he had to see him, he just insulted him and ran away as fast as he could. I mean, that evening –

*BANGBANGBANG*

"Who the hell could be at this hour in the night?" Roy asked his shadow as he stumbled across the house to open the front door. Tilting his head, he stood straight in front of the unwanted visitor.

"What is it, Fullmetal" he stated more than asked, surprised by the fact he didn't find it strange to have the other in front of his house. Edward looked determined and in a way tired.

The shorter man looked even more confused that someone actually opened the door and pondered his options. He had no idea why he was there. His steps just took him there. He chose to say nonchalantly "Well, I don't even know why I came. Sorry for that. Good night, General" and military salute and turn on his heels. Shook out of his semi-drunken state, Roy asked worried "Is there something wrong?"

The blond stared at him and opened his mouth only to immediately close it. Eventually, the General snapped, saying in an authoritative voice "Fullmetal, if there is nothing to report, refer from bothering me this late at night" His soberness wore off, apparently.

Edward sneered at the remark and pouted "Stupid to think you might feel lonely and need some company! You're such a bastard I can't understand how you can live with yourself"

"Out" were the Flame's words. Ed looked idiotically at his lips, which were dangerously curved in a thin line. "Huh?"

"Out. This instant" the older alchemist repeated.

"Huh?! The hell? I'm not to be bossed around by you! I can stay wherever I want, you useless bastard!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Elric, this is MY propriety, I am YOUR commanding officer and I will have you court martialed if you dare to insult me just once in any way possible or call me any names besides what the etiquette commands. Dismissed" he said and closed the door with a loud thump which must have woke up some distant neighbours.

Edward stared at the door. Was it for real? The man who didn't give a shit about being called in any ways and even teased himself with stupid pet names, the same who asked him to be called anything besides his rank out of the office, the same who told him he could come anytime at his place – just threatened to court martial him. What was wrong with him, now?

Behind the heavy door to his small fortress, Roy shivered in anger. Why did he react like that to the quite kind visit? Dammit, Edward was right – he needed some company and no one was there to provide it. Besides the boy who he yelled at.

"Damned life!" Roy cursed. It was so not like him to swear or loose composure. Seems that tiredness finally caught up with him. He looked through the door's viewfinder to find the stairs in front of his house empty. Who would wait for him to cool off, anyway?

"Okay, Roy" he told himself in loud voice. "No more drinking for you tonight"

XXXXX

Edward returned to the dorms fuming. Again. Second time in the same day. What was wrong with him? His company wasn't desired, but he still wanted to offer it. Wait – wasn't this the first time to see Mustang so raged? He looked even more determined than the time he nearly killed Envy.

How can one care for someone this cold and mean? What a joke.

XXXXX

Roy Mustang mused to himself in his almost silent living room. The sinister sound of the phonogram filled the emptiness of the room and the darkness was barely penetrated by a flashing candle light. He had electricity, but he preferred the mystery of the burning wax. He cursed his drunken temper and felt sorry for his subordinate. He shouldn't have yelled. He thought that he should treat the teen with lunch and apologise to him. After all, they worked together, so a proper collaboration was key-essential.

He went to work in the morning to find his office as pathetic as he left it. Empty desk, too many file cases on the shelves and mounts of paperwork on the petite coffee table in front of the couch. He sighted and seated himself in his throne, took a pencil out of its case and started filling in the many papers he received from Hawkeye as a "Welcome to work" gift. He was getting tired of those 'gifts'.

He went to lunch after being threatened with a gun for not wanting to eat. Alone, he sat at a remote table with a book in his hand, eating while reading. Pretty enjoyable. He returned to his office soon after he took a short walk around the HQ to rearrange his thoughts.

Nothing out of the ordinary for him. It was the plainest day on duty. Only that he usually didn't burn his brains with thoughts of a failed night. He has never had failed nights. Ever.

XXXXX

Hawkeye also noticed his distress and immediately linked his mood to Edward, who came to the military centre to give the rest of his report with a death glare on his face. She took the papers from him and asked "Are you alright, Edward?"

"Huh? Yeah! Of course, why wouldn't I?" Ed defended himself.

"If you say so... see you later" she waved her hand.

'Is it that obvious?' he questioned himself. Apparently, yes. He wanted to argue with Roy a bit to lighten his mood, but that bastard definitely didn't want to see him. As stupid as it sounds, Edward was bothered by the different comportment, he feared that he did something wrong. Shaking off his doubt, he went to a public phone and called his brother, who cheerfully answered.

"Brother! Haven't heard from you in ages! How are you?"

Edward smiled and spoke at the apparel "Hey, Al. Fine, ya know me. You? How's Winry and Granny?"

"All's great here, really. Everyone misses you, but we know you have work to do. By the way, I heard about your research. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Hehe, I forgot" Ed straightened his long hair.

"Yeah, yeah. Congratulation on the promotion, also. You really forgot to tell me so many things, brother. Ow, and how's the Colonel? I mean, General" Al corrected himself.

"Whatever, the bastard jumps ranks too fast anyway. I think I will take a break and visit you"

"Really? That's cool! We can't wait to have you here! I have to show you some things Ling sent us from Xing"

"Ling? How's he holding up? Future emperor and stuff?"

"He will take over Xing soon enough. I think our country will be in very good terms, since the General is so determined and he and Ling seemed to get along quite well"

Edward froze in place at the thought that that idiot could actually become the Fuhrer. Well, wasn't that what he also wanted for the man? He was suited for the chair. Damn, he shouldn't think about him.

"Brother, is everything okay?"

Edward coughed and excused himself. "Al, I have to go... you know, work. I've got to work" he said more like convincing himself that he had something to do.

"Fine... take care, brother! See you soon!"

"Sure thing, Al! Goodbye" Edward hung up the phone. Shit, he just invited himself at his brother when he had so much work in Central. Screw it. He had a family, work be damned.

XXXXX

"Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Elric announced me that he headed for Resembool" Riza announced from the office's door the next morning.

"Excuse me?" General Mustang demanded. Hawkeye shuddered and gave him some fresh reports. It was the first time in her carrier when she defied her commanding officer's orders, which now consisted in not allowing anyone to be absent from work for the next few weeks, as he had some very important reforms to apply.

Edward paid her a visit late the previous night at her apartment, where he told her that he needed some air. She suggested going to his brother and friend in Resembool and he jumped at her proposal with a train ticket in his clothed hand. It meant that he really didn't care if he was allowed to go or not, but he first wanted to tell the Lieutenant. After all, she was like an older sister to him and one doesn't betray family. Or, at least, not him.

Back in the office, Roy asked about his subordinate's scandalous behaviour. Hawkeye was impenetrable, she didn't mutter a word about the sudden departure and the real reason of it (by needing some air, Edward meant some distance between him and the General, surely).

Boiling in rage but never betrayed by his calm and calculated facade, Roy dismissed Hawkeye and reached for the table phone, dialling Winry's number, guessing that by that time, Edward must have arrived at his destination. Indeed, the one who answered was the alchemist, who kindly spoke to the speaker "Rockbell Automail"

"Fullmetal, care to explain yourself?" Roy said in a composed voice.

"I don't have to explain myself. I've already spoken with your subordinate. Weren't you so fond of them?" Roy tapped his fingers on his desk, visibly angry with that remark. He snapped "I did not joke about the possibility of being court martialed. You went directly over my directives and left without any letters of appointment. I ask you to give me some good reasons not to discharge you directly into prison for your acts"

Hearing the words, Edward exploded "What did you just say, bastard?! Discharge? The hell I'll let you do that! You can't!"

"I will not accept being talked like this. It is my final warning"

"Why don't you ask your Lieutenant about it and thrust that fucking papers of yours up your ass? Fuck you, bastard. I think you might need it!" Edward pouted and threw the phone in its holder.

Roy pushed the speaker away from his face, feeling the urge to break it in two. That insolence was not to be tolerated. But he had no idea what to do, since Edward was one of his best allies. A potty mouth, but still a great help. He threw his clenched fists on the desk.

Alphonse showed up behind his brother, scaring the living shit out of him. "ALPHONSE! Damn, stop sneaking, you've scared me!" Ed yelled, and then laughed at his reaction. Al raised his brows at him, knowing something was off. He heard just a mere half of the conversation, but he could swear his older brother spoke to Mustang.

"Brother, is everything alright?" Al repeated the same question he asked the previous day.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be? Come on, we shouldn't let that delicious meal Winry and Granny made for us to get cold!" Ed took the younger's hands in his and ran to the dining room, where the Rockbells were still sitting the table.

"Who was on the phone?" Winry asked waving a fork in her hands.

"Neah, no one. Let's eat!" they seated and continued the evening in an enjoyable mood.

XXXXX

Not much to be said about Roy's mood, though. He paid a visit to Hawkeye, whom he found home playing with her dog, Black Hayate. She opened the door and let him in.

"Hello, Sir. Do you want anything to drink? Pardon the mess, I never seem to be able to find time to unpack my things" she motioned for the many boxes on the floor.

The very small studio in which Riza Hawkeye lived was strictly furnished with a two-place couch and an armchair cramped up between a coffee table and a tall book case. In a corner, separated by an opaque screen, a queen sized bed and an armoire stood next to a wall with a few photographs hanged on it, most of them made with her fellow officer friends. In the middle of the display, there was a frame with a photo she made after the Ishbalan war, in which her, Roy and Hughes were hugging each other in front of the Eastern HQ, another held a picture with the small "Mustang Team", another with her late father and mother's portrait holding her in their arms and the last with the Elric brothers before and after the Promised Day. In the other corner, a tiny kitchenette was separated by a similar glass screen, and next to it, a wooden door blocked the entrance to the bathroom. The only window was covered by thick curtains and the light was open ghosting over the heavy furniture. The house had a nostalgic appearance, and the unopened boxes just added to it.

He took the place he was offered on the couch and thanked for the tea he received. After taking a sip of the ember liquor, he asked his old friend simply "Riza, tell me, what did Fullmetal tell you this morning?"

She shifted in her seat nervously. "Sir... Roy, I have to ask you something first"

He raised a brow and nodded. "Yes?"

"What did you do to Edward?" He blinked his eyes twice and left his mouth slightly opened. "What did I do to Edward? What do you mean? I didn't do a thing!" he replied.

"Please don't. Sir, Edward came last night to me and told me he needed some room away from you. Those weren't his specific words, but I figured that was the meaning. And I also overheard most of your phone conversation with him. What happened between you two?"

"Nothing" Roy replied rising from the loveseat. "I must excuse myself, I have to go. Thank you for the tea, Lieutenant" He headed for the door to be stopped by Black Hayate. Riza took the opportunity to say "Roy, whatever you do, consider your feelings. You are not alone, you have us"

Mustang stopped in the doorway and turned to face the woman who looked genuinely worried. He frowned and left without a word. Hawkeye looked at the blank door and repeated to herself "You are not alone, Roy"

XXXXX

Edward and his brother looked over the many gifts Ling had sent from Xing: books, amulets, special alchemy knives and utensils and a bunch of awkward looking substances, everything very helpful for Ed's research. The box in which the goods were shipped had a small letter attached to it, addressed to the older brother.

_Dear Edward Elric,_

_Congratulations on your discoveries and I hope you are closer to your dream. Thanks to you and your brother, I sure am closer to mine. As promised, I found what you requested from me last time we spoke and I look forward hearing from you about your research._

_Call or write me soon. You are so unreachable that it really makes me wonder how you can be so well known in your country. Nevertheless, I hope I'll see you again, my friend, and don't forget that the Empire of Xing is also your ally._

_Please salute you brother, that nice lady friend of yours and her grandmother, the doctor, all our fellows from Central and North and General Mustang. I wait for the day our states will collaborate under his and my command. Until then, your faithful friend, Ling Yao_

The letter was written in Ling's superb script, and this simple fact emphasized their relationship. Edward and the future Emperor remained friends and swore to help each other. Indeed, the words were meaningful and almost playful, so like the black haired Xingese. Black hair like...

Shit, Ed cursed. He was so not going to cry over the stupid General, who was (apparently) half Xingese, half Amestrian. The men didn't deserve a single thought after what he dared to say to him. It hurt like hell to hear his venom, to see him as he never imagined he could – a cold officer with no respect for anyone but himself. That was not the Roy he knew. And cared for. Deeper than he should.

And like hell he will salute that good-for-nothing bastard!

Noticing his brother tormented by dark thoughts, Al said "Hey, brother, why don't we see the birds who live in my former armour? They got so big and many... they're very cute!"

Ed nodded and followed the excited sand blond in front of him.

XXXXX

"Wow, the food was really good! Winry, you've gotten so better at cooking!" Ed said with a full stomach. The dinner was simply delicious and the atmosphere was relaxed. Seeing the good mood installed on Ed's face, Alphonse decided it was time to have a serious talk with the older. After Granny Pinako went to sleep, he ushered him and Winry to the living room.

"Hey, brother, can we have a word?"

"Err, yeah? Why not" he agreed eyeing Winry, who fidgeted in her seat.

"Brother, Winry and I decided to get married" Ed looked back and forth to Al and Winry, who both smiled like two idiots. Not sure what to say, he jumped and hugged them as a silent congratulation. He asked after a short break "Well, when?"

"When what?" Al asked.

"Did love burn your brain? The wedding, duh!" Ed smiled.

"Soon enough... this summer, we want" Winry responded laughing. "What do you say, Ed?"

"Nothing! My little brother and best friend are getting married! I'm just too excited for you two! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Al looked at his fiancé "We just wanted to tell you in private. Granny was very happy, but we didn't know about you"

"About me? You know I will always support and love you, Al"

XXXXX

That night, Edward couldn't sleep. He never saw the engagement coming. He was happy for his brother, alright, but a bit jealous. I mean – a person who lived half of his life in an empty suit of armour was getting married before him. With their mutual best friend. Fate was a cruel bitch.

Trying to cool off his head, he went to the bathroom to take a long bath. Undressing hastily, he plopped in the hot water from the bath tub and engulfed himself in the pleasant heat. Thinking of unicorns and giant spiders, he played with the water like when he was younger. He missed the feeling of freedom and go-by from the problems of the world.

Relaxing, he remembered the discussion with his commanding officer. A very unpleasant event, really. He felt guilty that he got the charming young man in such a volcanic state. He would probably never admit, but he enjoyed the other's company. He found it out after the many nights they spent together working on the alchemical project. He cared for the other's wellbeing.

Sensing an extra wave of heat, Edward looked down his body. Many goose bumps accumulated on his skin and he looked flushed. A slight erection pooled in his groin. "Well... let's say it's been some time, right?" he told himself, trying to ignore the fact that his previous thoughts brought his to that state. The mind had its own ways over the body.

He took himself in his flesh hand and pumped lightly, his body starting to ache. Moving his automail arm from his perked nipples, he covered his mouth to stop a moan to escape. After all, he didn't need to have his brother worried by the sounds coming from the bathroom at three in the morning.

Speeding up and shivering more, he let his mind get blank. In its emptiness, the image of the hated charcoal mop of hair and fiery black eyes appeared out of nowhere, making the very hormonal blond even more excited. Doing something uncharacteristic for him, Edward slid his metallic fingers to his bottom and slowly encircled the tender skin. He wanted to scream over his idiocy, but the sensations were far more important. Thrusting a finger in, then two (and completely ignoring the horrid coldness of the automail) he pushed himself down on his fingers and up his hand. The friction was blissful to say the least.

Biting his lips to prevent any sound to get out of his mouth, he groaned as he brought himself closer to climax. Up, down, up – shit, not that image. Black hair, black eyes, white skin, thin smirking lips...

"Shit... ugh, Roy!" he mumbled between his teeth as he let himself go. Edward immediately sunk in the now cold water, hoping for his fantasy to disappear. It didn't.

Back in his bedroom, Edward cursed all the Gods he knew and especially his stupid mind for letting Roy in. Why did he have to think of a man and, of all the men, Roy Mustang? To hell with his feelings! He didn't want to feel anything for the other! He was a bastard who... who he cared for. Why and how did it start, he had completely forgotten.

XXXXX

On the third day of Ed's departure, Roy received an urgent call from the Eastern command, where he was needed to solve some problems. He was not very excited about the job, but if it is an order, then he was more than pleased to execute it. In a big crisis of escorting personnel (he couldn't leave the Central to someone he didn't trust, so Hawkeye was out of the question to walk him around), he decided to travel with Major Alex Louis Armstrong, who would then travel North to collect some military goods from his older sister, Olivier.

The job in Eastern Command turned out to be the most lame and stupid possible, but the incompetent who was in charge of the HQ as a temporary replacement for the regular commanding officer (a very capable man who was, at that moment, ill and at home, resting), proved to be the most useless idiot that there could be. Roy solved everything quickly and then visited his fellow sick friend from Eastern Command (him and Lieutenant General Andrew Sherman were good friends back from the Ishbalan war and they both shared the same ideals) who also complained about his subordinate.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant General" Roy assured the washed-chestnut haired and hazel eyed man resting at home "I will take care that the HQ will be taken good care of while you are sick. So get better soon, I have a lot of work to finish with you!"

Sherman laughed at his eager colleague and shook his hand "Sure thing, General. I can't wait for our future collaboration!"

As promised, Roy let Grumman know about his request and he complied with his protégés' request and changed the idiots in command, letting Sherman free hand to choose someone better for the duty.

XXXXX

Edward said his farewells to Winry, Al and Granny and congratulated the young couple once again for their engagement. He jumped right into the train and fell asleep soon enough, chewed up by thoughts about his brother's happiness... and Mustang. The previous night was still vivid in his head. He rolled in his bed all night long and cursed the moment the General popped up in his fantasy. That sucked to his ego and it was entirely that pervert's fault for giving him so much attention.

He was so confused... Nevertheless, he fell asleep on his suitcase in the train.

XXXXX

The train station in Eastern City was as crowded as ever. Thanking all the possible and impossible Gods for Armstrong's massive physique (the man offered a drive to the train, as his own was due to leave in half an hour), Roy literally swam his way through the crowd. The overheated station (thought it was October, the weather was still warm and the crowds sure didn't help) determined Mustang to take off his long dark uniform overcoat and most of the people panicked at the view of his stars and backed off, allowing him access.

Grinning to himself, he took a seat next to the window in a remote car and stared at his surroundings. He then opened the book he held in his pocket.

"Can we be of any help, General Sir?" some enlisted men asked. Roy raised his eyes from the book he started reading and mumbled a very dumb "Huh?" before coming to his senses. Realizing the question, he returned to his intelligent self and responded in an official tone "No, thank you". The men looked at each other and the youngest of them said sheepishly "Sir, shouldn't you be staying in the private cabins? It might be dangerous to seat here alone and-"

"Officers, I believe I have explained my intentions and I do not need to repeat myself. Dismissed" Roy cast a dangerous glance at the enlisted men's lightly relieved faces and resumed his reading with a smile. He received a few weird looks from the rest of the passengers – who the hell would want to travel with commoners when they had first class tickets? Apparently, only Roy.

* * *

A/N: See? It has more plot. Next, Roy will have to investigate someone from his past and Ed will try to get over his frustration. It sounds bad, but it's better than worse :D See you soon, and review! It helps a lot! Thanks for the support!


	4. 4 - The rain fell down over the city

A/N: Mornin' as usual, though at my place is the middle of the night. I'm ultra-glad that some of you review and even if you didn't (but really should), thank you for reading! The plot will advance and I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I love writing!

The warnings are the same, this time Ed won't be flaming that much and will start to make sense of things. There will be some description, but it's necessary for the plot. I won't bother with the disclaimer, as everyone knows I don't own anything but the plot and OCs (there you go).

Don't forget to review/favourite/follow and now - on the horse!

* * *

Chapter 4 – The rain fell down over the city

The train to Central began to empty itself in the next big cities, as this line from East wasn't the most used to get to the heart of the country. Rich people preferred the new line better, built a few years before, so the old one remained for those who enjoyed a peaceful journey or had less money.

A little relieved that no one was looking at him nervously anymore, Roy covered himself in his dark overcoat and continued reading. From a fair distance, he looked almost like a worriless beggar, sprawled on the bench, leg over leg and back on his suitcase, only if he didn't seem so important, emanating opulence despite his fruitless efforts to blend in. One just doesn't blend in the crowd when reading a book that costs almost two regular working men salaries. For those who knew the prices, of course.

Despite the said preferences, Roy Mustang wasn't the cheap type, but he was definitely not the kind to spend unnecessarily big sums of money for vices such as obscene luxury. He enjoyed travelling with commoners as he could listen to their stories and share their problems. He told children the craziest military tales he knew and advised the elders on therapeutic matters. He liked playing with the little ones catch or anything he could think of in the cramped up space and, when they got tired, some chess or backgammon with their grandparents would do the trick, too. But today wasn't the day, he just couldn't organise his thoughts due to the previous events at his home, when he had that disastrous argue with Edward Elric. He stared blankly at his overpriced book. He couldn't focus.

A few children recognised him and came shouting "Sir! Sir!" He looked at the cheerful crowd and cracked a sad smile. The little ones noticed his distress and a strawberry blonde girl asked with a long face "Sir, what happened? Why are you sad?" At the base of her big baby blue eyes formed some wet tears. Feeling his heart snap in two bloodied pieces, Roy brought his right hand up and wiped the little girl's tears away, gently caressing her cheeks.

"Do I look sad? I'm not, because I got to see you, sweet angels" he smiled and hugged the three children who came to him, a girl and two boys. He turned his head to see their older sister and mother and saluted them with a quick nod, as he was pulled down by the youngest brother in the trio in a playful grip.

"Mister, mister, did you miss us?"

Roy looked at them sternly with his signature glance. The kids backed off hastily, only to be pulled in a new hug by the laughing raven haired man. "You little devils, you thought I didn't miss you? Wrong!" The trio giggled between his arms and grabbed his blue uniform to snatch him out of his seat. He chased after them in the wagon and caught them all at once, spinning them in the air. He spent most of the time left in the train playing everything game the space allowed and chatted with their mother and older sister after the trio fell asleep in his lap. For a few hours, his worries were gone. He was himself again.

XXXXX

In a faraway compartment of the train to Central, Edward Elric yawned ferociously. The conductor's annoying voice woke him up. Shifting to a better position, he opened his notebook to resume checking up an old murder case he was interested in. The light was dim and he wasn't able to read for too long. Lifting his eyes from the notebook's pages, he stared through the window at the wet land outside. It was raining heavily.

He couldn't wait to get home. If a hotel room could be considered home, then this is where he was headed.

XXXXX

The train approached its most central destination. Roy saluted once again the family and sent his best regards to the father, an architect who was currently working at a huge project in a city close to Central. The man was an old friend he made in his long travels all around the country and he never missed a chance to converse with his charming family, who he considered a walking fair. His siblings were currently visiting him at work and were due to reach their destination in two stations.

Outside the train, the night was so dark that you couldn't see your own feet and the rain was pouring harder and harder. 'Why didn't I request for an escort? Damn!' Not having an umbrella and not seeing any means of transportation, Roy tightened his grip on the sides of his drenched coat and ran down the empty streets of his domicile city.

XXXXX

Edward looked at the miserable weather in Central. It was not enough that his mood was gloomy, the sky had to worsen it. 'Argh! I hate rain! My automail junctions hurt like hell! Oh, don't tell me I did it again...' He had forgotten to book a room at his usual hotel and he didn't have the keys to his dorm. He cursed his luck and braced himself for the coldness of the rain.

He ran through the darkness with no destination in mind. Maybe his landlord was still awake and he could open the door for him... he didn't want to spend the night outside.

*BANG**THUMP*

Ed fell backwards on the cold rock tiles. He bumped into a hard object which appeared out of nowhere, the collision resulting in him falling down on his back.

"For fuck's sake!"

"Look where you're going!"

The two voices halted and spoke at the same time, the confusion obvious in their talk.

"Mustang?"

"Fullmetal?"

Roy and Edward looked at each other sheepishly. The younger alchemist rubbed his head annoyed and groaned huskily "No fucking way... are you stalking me or something?"

"I don't know about you, I have a feeling I'm not the stalker in here. Watch your steps, it's quite late for kids, you see" Roy teased.

"Why you - AH! I have no need of arguing with you! You just don't deserve my breath" Edward pouted and turned on his heels to walk away. Roy looked at the slender figure in front of his eyes. Something told him he should not waste an opportunity like this. A drenched Edward in... 'Dammit, Roy, pull yourself together! What are you, fifteen?' he scolded at himself. He did some thinking on the situation he created with him screaming that night at Edward, and what he realised was revelatory and absolutely revolting. Just like every day was to him.

"Fullmetal, just a wild guess – do you have somewhere to stay for the night?" he asked. Edward stopped and returned the gaze. 'Did he just read my mind?!' Ed thought.

"Figures. It's pouring, and my house is not far. We'll get there soon if we hurry, that is. Come, you can sleep at my place"

Ed sighed defeated and gave a quick nod and started running. Roy caught up with him effortlessly.

XXXXX

Completely soaked, the two alchemists entered the empty mansion. Roy closed the door behind him and locked it, then took Edward's wet red coat and hanged it next to his. The younger officer threw his boots aside, just like the elder.

Fullmetal stood in the rectangular hallway, staring at Roy who arranged the few objects that were scattered on a mid-high closet. "I suggest you to go upstairs and take a shower; you might catch a cold if you keep on staring at me, Fullmetal, no matter how hot I am. It won't make you any warmer, you know"

"As if! Fine, I'll be quick" Edward snored and walked up the stairs.

"I'll prepare something to eat, are you hungry?" Roy shouted from the kitchen. It was a long silence. Finally, Ed's voice interrupted it "Only if you don't burn the house down!"

"I won't snap my fingers, I promise!" the general commented satisfied. Seems his subordinate was back to normal.

Now he had to find out what Edward was thinking that made him so angry. He could only hope his own thoughts were shared.

XXXXX

Roy set the table without a sound. Ed was taking his time in the shower. A little worried, the Flame checked up on him. "Fullmetal?" he knocked at the bathroom's door. No answer. "Fullmetal? Full- Edward, is everything okay?" Not hearing a sound from the usually noisy man, Roy entered to find the said alchemist asleep in the bathtub. He looked somehow older than his actual age. Something bothered him and the General didn't have to try too hard to guess what (or actually who) was the matter.

Mustang tried to wake him up, but his efforts were pointless. Edward didn't cooperate, he just kept on sleeping. He must have been very tired. He picked him up in a towel and took him to the master bedroom, where he put the sleeping bundle on his large bed. The room was lit only by a single moonshine which beamed on Ed's pale face as the boy's features lost their tension. He looked so peaceful. Roy caressed one of his cheeks and got an unconscious smile from the teen. Yep, that was the real Fullmetal. A small monster in the body of a boy at day, a defenceless soul in the body of an angel at night.

Without bothering to look in Fullmetal's suitcase for clean clothes, Roy searched through his dresser and found a shirt and some pants which looked slim enough for Ed. 'That shirt will be the death of me' he chuckled at the bright pink piece of clothing. Hughes gave it to him about ten years ago for his birthday in an attempt of making an extremely bad joke. Not like he didn't succeed – there were still jokes about a certain "shy (and dead drunk) boy" and the picture his best friend took with him in that disgusting shirt was still on his wall in the study. What memories... Amused, he dressed the sleeping alchemist and took a shower as well. He then went downstairs to the living room and took a seat on the couch. It'd be his bed for the night, as he didn't bring himself to sleep in any of the guest room. At least in his own house, he wasn't a visitor.

XXXXX

The morning came too soon and the weather was just as bad as in the previous day. Edward woke up in Roy's bed and had a very vague memory of last night. He shouted for the man, but no answer came in return. He noticed he was in some foreign clothes and fumed that he was touched by that bastard, but he at least had the decency to dress him and not do something weird. Ed's body was pretty much like the other day.

"And why am I dressed in pink? Ugh – it's so tasteless! What a sick joke" he tugged at the bright coloured piece of clothing.

Ed descended to the lower floor to find his breakfast on the table in the living room. 'That bastard has a loosen screw in his head... shouldn't he be mad on me for insulting him?' he thought. 'Lucky me, then!' He literally inhaled the food (let's not blame him for not having dinner the previous night) and changed in his now dry clothes. He packed up Roy's pathetic coloured garments and put them in the laundry bin in the bathroom.

"Wait, I can't leave! He didn't leave me any keys!" Ed exclaimed, noticing there were no spare keys in sight and it wouldn't do to leave the door unlocked. He had to wait for the General to come back.

XXXXX

At work, Roy Mustang was bored out of his mind and dead on his feet. Or, more likely, in his chair. He felt like he could rot in that bloody chair.

"Sign these too, Sir" Hawkeye handed more papers.

'Ugh... I'm so gonna die of boredom... it's so boring... utterly boring...' Roy yawned abruptly and shook his head. "Alright! Time for action!" he took the papers he was offered and read them carefully before signing his name on most of them, the others being rejected.

"General!" a levelled voice echoed in the office. Roy lifted his head and watched a confused Falman waving a blue envelope in his hand. Blue meant something confidential. Oh joy.

"Yes?" he asked cautiously.

"Some problems, boss" Breda responded before Falman could. "Seems you are requested for some investigations on some possible Drachma's spies"

"Spies?" he tried to look surprised. He knew very well about it. He was called the previous week to the Fuhrer's office and was informed by his former mentor that he was due to find and eliminate the threats in the military, as the spies were after some very dangerous information, and very confidential too. After what, he couldn't precisely say.

"Hand me the report, please. Thank you" Roy read the ten pages report and then put it on his desk. "We have work to do. Finish your assignments as soon as possible. I am going to handle the main investigation, the rest of you will provide me with any information you can gasp. Anything you have to do, do it. Wait for the next orders. I will be telling you what to in short order" The small team nodded and work was resumed like nothing happened. Small talk was exchanged in the office, just as usual.

What was not at usual was for Grumman to be so desperate. 'Why did he tell my subordinates about the mission... it's supposed to be a well-guarded secret...' Roy thought. Realisation struck him 'Sneaky old man, you want to make furores and you want me to work as obvious as possible so the spies can feel the threat. Nice, hat down' He continued signing documents as he thought of a good plan to lure the threat out of its shelter and crush it discreetly.

XXXXX

Edward searched Roy's house from top to bottom and stopped to rest in his study, which had a wonderful library attached. By wonderful, I mean vast. And by vast, I mean oversized.

The man really had a thing for books. They were neatly organised on the many shelves and they were covering a wide range of domains, from alchemy to cooking, from politics to art, from history to fashion, from anything one could think of to another thing one wouldn't even imagine. Ed rolled his eyes to cover all the room with his eyes. It somehow had a very poignant feeling, something that reminded him a lot of Hawkeye's house, which he visited some years ago on a whim. No wonder those two were friends. But it had something unique, a deep sadness that he never saw in his life. It felt a lot like place in which someone cried its sorrow away. Like the charm has died years ago and unexpected was due to happen. Ed felt a deep pity for the Roy. The room needed some redecorating, urgently. It was no longer sad. It was pathetic.

The mysterious air was maintained by the way too many photos and diplomas hanged all over the walls. But the similarity in decoration with the Lieutenant's decorations stopped there. Unlike her bedroom (which was pretty decent), the study had no free place anywhere on its beige painted walls. Not a spot. The diplomas were varied, many military's, others from contests or Meritor decorations. Their frames were surrounded by old photographs which seemed to tell a story. A story about Roy's life.

The first diplomas started from the far away corner of the room. School prizes, academic graduation, alchemical licenses and many photos with him and his colleagues. Oh, look at it, Hughes and Roy together. They looked so young and happy... it must have been a lot before the Ishbalan war.

The long rows of decorations and memories continued and Ed was surprised to find many pictures of him. Did Roy really care so much about him and his brother that he hanged their photos on his walls?

The one piece that completely dazzled him was the huge desk which resided next to a wall, well hidden by the many objects on it. Its design was antique and dandy; it somehow had its own personality. Behind it, there was a huge map of Amestris and its neighbouring countries, with specifications about each region, full of red dots and metallic nails on it. On the mahogany artsy furniture, there were two piles of books on fire alchemy and some forgotten documents, a case full of pencils and pens and, again, some frames. Ed looked at each one. Being so close to him all the time when he studies – they must be something really special for the alchemist. In the central frame was Roy's team – Hawkeye, Breda, Fury, Falman and Havoc, all grinning. Again, a photo with him and Maes Hughes, they were both the rank of Lieutenant Colonel... their eyes looked so different. They were colder than in the other photos he saw on the walls, like they forgot how to smile and were just faking it. Edward never noticed that glint in Mustang's eyes. Under it, without a frame, there was a photo with Maes in casual clothing, toasting with the camera. A photo with Madam Christmas (after some investigation he did in the past, Ed found out it was the General's aunt) holding a kid in her arms – that must be a very young Roy. His hair was a complete black mess and he laughed with all his body. Next, a photo with Edward and his brother long before the day Al recovered his body. 'Does he have an obsession with us? Whatever, nostalgic, freak'

The last photo in the right was the depicture of Hawkeye and a man who looked a lot like her, so Edward presumed he was her father, and the last frame on the left held the picture of a man and woman, presumably husband and wife, holding a small baby in their arms. He didn't know who those people were. The child was well covered in blankets, but he could tell it was black haired from the fluffy tuft that evaded from the warm confines. The man was a lot taller than his supposed wife and had light blond hair and deep blue eyes. His features were refined and somehow superior, though his eyes were kind and humble. The woman was petite and very beautiful, a great match for the smirking man who held her waist. Her smile was charming and it reached her big and elongated black eyes, full of fire and determination. The hair was combed in a braid which surrounded her head from behind her ears almost like a nest, or a burnt pretzel. Over-burnt.

A little confused, Ed approached the said photo to the one with Roy and Hughes. Completely ignoring the late Brigadier General, he compared the couple to the younger depiction of the General. Same eyes and hair colour as the woman, similar face shape and mouth as the man, even the same smirk... were they his parents?

Ed opened the heavy golden frame. The photo's margins were yellowed and had small burns on them. The back had a few words on it, written in a superb script.

_Never forget us, for our hearts shall always belong next to you and our eyes shall forever watch out for you and smile and shed tears with you. Never miss us for we are no longer here. Forever look forward. Past is dead and you are too alive for it._

And, over the last few words, there were some droplets of dried blood.

XXXXX

Roy moved in his chair. 'Ten minutes left and I can go home and rest' he encouraged himself as he finished the last few documents he had to sign.

The ten minutes were soon prolonged with a quick assignment that took little over two hours.

He left the office with his hands in the blue military pants' pockets. He was whistling an old song when realisation hit him hard 'Fullmetal is at my place! Wait – what if he left? He didn't have any keys!' Roy sped up and reached his house in record time. That night, he asked not to be driven to his domicile, as he wanted to take a walk around the city. Or a run.

He reached his doorway to discover that his house was still locked. Okay, Edward was still there. Now that he thought better, he could have simply called his home phone and find out if he stayed there during the day. Never mind that now.

He opened the door and closed it back behind him. He put his coat and shoes aside and started searching the mansion for the younger alchemist, whom he found on the couch, reading. He didn't even hear Roy when he called his name, so the previous had to repeat it for a few times.

"Oh, you finally came, General" Ed said at last, closing the book he was reading.

"Err... yes. What are you still doing here, Fullmetal?" Roy crossed his arms.

"Well, I couldn't leave your house unlocked, genius. Or maybe you want me to find someone to rob you? It's not that hard, trust me"

"No, thank you for minding it" Roy replied smoothly, remembering his mistake of not providing the man some keys. "Well, I hope you weren't too bored"

"Neah – though I'm totally starving. I haven't eaten anything!"

"There's always food in the kitchen, no matter how long I'm out. You should have taken some. It's not forbidden, you know" Mustang said smiling.

"I didn't want to intrude" Ed lied. He spent the whole day searching in the proprietor's belongings, so he didn't have any time for eating.

Not totally buying the lie, as Edward was famous for his appetite, Roy lifted a brow to only lower it soon after. "Then, why don't we have some dinner?"

"Okay... after that, I'm outta here"

Ed followed Roy to the kitchen. He set the plates as his commanding officer put the heated food on the table. They ate in silence, but not before long, the teen broke it "So, how was your day?"

"Excuse me?" the older demanded, unused to having someone asking about his day.

"I asked about your day at work. Forget it – your brains are too burnt from signing your name on everything" Ed waved his hand to look annoyed or, more likely, to hide a pale blush. Was he an idiot or something? Did he just ask the man whom he considered until the very previous day his worst enemy about his day?

"Yeah, I guess so. That's what I did the whole day. What were you reading when I came?"

"I found a book about flame alchemy on your coffee table. Quite interesting"

"Yes, I have to thank my teacher for showing it to me"

"Teacher?"

"Fullmetal, are you interested in my past?"

"No?" he asked more than said.

"Figures" Roy stabbed his last bite and then put his dishes in the sink. Ed finished soon after and put his own over the others.

Elric looked on the window at the dark street outside. The storm was worse than in the morning. "Damn, it is still raining! What's with this weather?!" he pouted. Swallowing his pride, he asked the General, who kindly smiled and nodded at his request "Mind if I spend the night here again?"

XXXXX

'Am I out of my mind? Spending the night with him on purpose? What kind of torture is this?' Ed thought bitterly as he lay on the guestroom's queen sized bed. Roy offered to house him in his bedroom again, but it felt too much like intruding.

Ed couldn't sleep, no matter how much he struggled. Maybe it was the rain outside or the low pressure... or maybe it was the diary he found on Roy's desk. The notebook was the most depressing and in the same time amusing thing he has ever read. It wasn't the usual diary one would keep, in which were written the lame daily life; it was filled with stories from the past and draws. He had to admit – Roy was a good drawer. He had Armstrong's skills. And needed to see a psychiatrist.

The stories were about life and death, war and peace, love and hatred. They were well written and heart breaking or warming, depending on the subject. After reading the first ten, Ed concluded the plot was inspired from Roy's most shadowed thoughts and he was the protagonist who always suffered in silence and laughed alone at his own jokes. They didn't sound sappy or pitiful, they had their pride. Just like the flesh and blood embodiment.

Feeling his throat dry, Ed left his room to take a glass of water from the kitchen. Passing by Roy's room, he noticed it was empty. A dim light came out of the study downstairs.

XXXXX

Roy read some old letters he received more than ten years ago. He really needed to make some space in the drawers and he started by reading everything he had in them and throwing away what he didn't need anymore. His heart didn't let him throw away anything so far.

He took a sip from his bourbon after he toasted it to an empty one, so that he wouldn't drink alone. His mind really was drifting, clouded. But he had a goal, and an important one. It was not the time to think about himself.

The door screeched, and not too long, Ed stood in front of him with a questioning look on his face. The room reeked of alcohol. "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"Huh? Well, what are you doing?" Roy retorted. He felt dizzy. 'Shoot, I'm a bit drunk' he warned himself. He didn't need to pick up a fight with Edward once again.

"Okay, okay, Mustang, I think you had enough for the night. Why don't you go to sleep?" Ed asked after taking the glass out of the semi-drunk man's hand.

"It's not that easy, you know, Fullmetal? Life is never that easy. It's exhausting and uninteresting" he said as he laid his head on his hands. Elric raised his golden eyebrows and took a seat.

"Tell me" Roy continued. "You were here today?"

"Huh?"

"No need to lie. Pretty pathetic, am I not?" the raven haired officer chuckled.

"Yeah, you are" the blond admitted. "Why do you have so many photos everywhere?"

"So I won't forget those who sacrificed for me and those I sacrificed myself for. I like to keep track of things" Mustang said while staring at Fullmetal's lips.

With a fluent quick move, he rose abruptly from his seat and came in front of the teen. His drunken mind pushed him to kiss the lips he followed with his eyes a few moments ago. Ed, not really registering the intrusion, stood in his place until his brain noticed the moisture on his lips. Pushing the man away, he shouted "What the hell is wrong with you, you paedophile?" Wait – he was no longer a child. He was twenty already.

Roy's eyes widened and opened his mouth, no words coming out. "Err..." he mumbled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I think I drunk a little too much. Forget about it" he replied confused. "Err... I'll go to sleep... you should too... yeah, that's it" Did he just kiss his male subordinate? How drunk was he?

Ed remained still on the chair. He felt warm and somewhat relieved. He rose from his seat and escaladed the stairs to his room. Not surprisingly, Roy's bedroom door was closed. He gulped and knocked before entering.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked from the doorway. His commanding officer stared blankly at the ceiling. He was lying on his back on the bed. He answered without lifting up. "I am sorry that I invaded your personal space, Fullmetal"

"I figured you didn't mean it. You never mean anything, bastard"

"What are you saying, Fullmetal?" Roy moved his eyes to the blond, who easily seated himself next to him.

"I have no idea, ya know? Just felt right to say it. You see, we've been running around the bush for quite some time" Ed smiled looking intently at the floor. Mustang moved to stand by his shoulder and stared at the other's face, boring holes in it. His mind was clouded and he didn't notice when Edward turned to face him.

"Tell me now, Mustang, what do you really want from me?"

"What do I want? Support and loyalty"

"Really? So you're not mad on me? I mean, you told me you'll court martial me"

Roy sighed "Why would I? You should just learn how to respect your superiors and everything will be fine. Or at least pretend to"

"No matter what you say, you know I'll never give you the satisfaction of seeing me behave. And you're lying. Why the hell did you kiss me?"

"What part of my situation you don't understand? You got me confused. First, you insult me like no other. Then, you accept to help me. Then, you spend time with me and we have a good time together. After that, you insult me again. Now, you are awfully kind and I'm awfully tired and have a major headache and my mind is quite gloomy. What is wrong with you, really?"

"I don't know..." Edward mumbled, remembering his totally out-of-character fantasies. Lifting his molten gold eyes to meet charcoal ones, he bit his lips before sticking them to the other's fine and thin ones. 'What am I doing?' he let himself be the prey to the most sinful sensation.

* * *

A/N: Pow, that's the forth chapter! I hope it didn't disappoint, and I will post the next one soon enough. Consider this more as a filler, as the next chapter has more stuff going on. I almost finished it, by the way.

Don't forget to review/follow/favourite! It really helps! Thanks for reading and the support you provide!


	5. 5 - Poor Roy-boy

A/N: Mornin'! I'm so happy I got such nice reviews from you (but not many enough... *pushing my luck*). This chapter is a little longer and has some really graphic stuff going on.

Same warnings, same swears, same 'I don't own' blah-blah... Mention of future important original character. And, of course, some good old loving.

Anyway, on with the slaughter...

* * *

Chapter 5 – Poor Roy-boy

Roy lost his composure. Alright, he was quite drunk, but he still realised when Edward kissed him. Who wouldn't?! Anyway, what've gotten into the kid?! Wait, what've gotten into him that he responded? Or actually he remained as still as a stone, just as hard as butter left in the sun.

The raven officer mumbled in the kiss and was greeted by two hands which held him into place. He shivered under the different temperatures the hands exchanged with his overheated flesh. Regaining his strength, Roy twisted his captor's wrists in his hands and pinned them up in the air.

"Okay, okay, Fullmetal, you've made your point! Now, that's enough!" he freaked out.

"You really have no shame, bastard! You dare to say you're confused? 'Cause I'm awfully convinced! You push me around, flirt with me and then what – let's consider oh-so-innocent Roy-Roy's feelings! Just because you've been drinking, it doesn't mean you can fool around! You grew up an adult to make fun of people?"

"Huh?" Damn, the hangover! Roy just couldn't put words together.

Edward rolled his eyes and shook off the elder's body. "Sleep that hangover away and let's talk in the morning. I'm tired of your cheapness" The blond got out of the room and proceeded into pushing the guestroom's door open only to be stopped by two cold hands grabbing his waist.

"Mustang, don't you understand the word NO?! NO IS NO!" Edward yelled.

"No means nothing and nothing means infinite possibilities" the response was spoken in a very intelligent tone and definitely not sober.

"My, my, so poetical! I could fall for you! Get out of the fucking way!" he pushed the obstacle away, but the said obstacle was glued to his hips.

"Oh, shut up, Fullmetal! There are other millions of people on this goddamn planet beside you and they just don't give a shit about your sorry ass! I've put my fucking career in danger for an idiot who did the most stupid thing in the history of stupid things and that's the recognition I get?!" Roy let go of Ed's waist and stormed downstairs. He shouted in the process "Now I totally mean what I said about the court martial, Fullmetal! Just watch me!"

Edward screamed profanities in his way to the bed and continued for some hours till he fell asleep on a pillow soaked in tears. 'Screw that man! That's what I get for showing I care? I didn't cry when Al lost his body and I'm crying for... for... Goddammit, I hate him for this!' Who were they fooling? They were both equally dumb. They were not able to admit the obvious.

Roy stayed up all night. It was not like he was hurt by the way things escalated the previous night. He could have just shut up, couldn't he? It could have been a nice evening, him and Fullmetal drinking a late coffee together and talking about their golden times. Some insidious looks, a mouth curved in an obscene way, some lustful words... just the usual way. But no. They needed some more hell to their already fragile relationship. And why the hell did he brought up the human transmutation, when it obviously hurt the other?

He didn't even flinch when Fullmetal left the house a little before Hawkeye came to pick him up. He was too pissed with himself. She sneezed and he didn't even register the sound. Being able to cut with a butcher knife through the air around her superior, she asked "Sir, is everything alright?" She saw no more than a few moments ago a fuming Edward getting past her without really noticing her and she instantly knew something was off.

"Yes, of course, why wouldn't it be?" the General answered with a murderous glare. Ahem, she was right, as usual. Something was very wrong. "Let's go, we have plenty of work to do" That day, Roy worked more diligently than ever.

XXXXX

"Why, good morning, Mister Elric! Usual room, hm?" the man behind the counter asked. He was a kind looking middle-aged man who worked as a receptionist at the hotel Edward usually slept at. The teen didn't have the stability needed for an apartment and it was tons cheaper to stay at a hotel than spending money on a house which would stay most of the times empty, similar to his appointed dormitory (where he slept only when his brother visited).

"Yes, thank you, Sir. Put it in my tab as usual" Ed replied half-heartedly and took the keys from the counter. He hurried to the room which was still full of his very few belongings. The room was always reserved for him, that of a loyal customer he was.

On the comfy bed, Ed thought of possible causes for Roy's dangerously-close death. Stabbed in the back. Neah, not painful enough. Shot in the chest. Neah, too harsh. Drowned. Too fast. Incinerated. Better! Oh, the irony, burning the Flame...

'Who am I kidding? I've got it too far last night and I've acted on instinct. Which means that those are my instincts?' he shook his head and murmured "Die, bastard. He should stop drinking, it messes with his head"

XXXXX

Roy read some old files on some undercover missions his state carried in Drachma. Major General Armstrong sent him some top-secret documents with her brother. Sheska was kind enough to let him in the files room without questioning his motives, just as always, so that he could get some research done.

Nothing popped up until... "Hold on... well hello, got ya!" he said, tapping a file. It belonged to a sand haired man in his mid-forties, rather good looking and with wonderfully deep blue eyes. In the small photo provided by the file, he had a rigid face and not a single wrinkle, despite his declared age. He was a former undercover agent in Drachma who turned the tables after making a horrid mistake against his state, and Roy knew what it was all about too well, the man, his name, reputation and crimes. Now, he was the prime suspect on his list. Scratch that – the only suspect. Anyone else didn't matter, no one.

"I hope you've missed me, because it will be such a pleasure to burn you with my own two hands" Roy vowed to the tinny photographic paper and continued with investigating the said man's entries.

Late at night, Roy left the files' room and retrieved the keys to the bespectacled lady officer. After thanking her for the sustained help, he went to his home to spend other many hours thinking of a good plan to uncover the spies. Bloody old man Grumman, how he smelled Roy. The Grandpa wasn't his mentor for nothing.

It was the time to surpass the Fuhrer's expectancies once again. After all, he wanted to be the next Fuhrer, didn't he?

XXXXX

"General, Sir, the Fuhrer is requesting for your presence" Hawkeye announced from the door, struggling to halt her sneezing session. Roy just nodded and continued sorting his papers on the desk. His men raised their heads and watched intently how he messed the desk and rearranged everything on it to just mess it up again. He continued to find himself something to do for over twenty minutes.

"Err... Boss?" Breda spoke from the side of his desk. "Shouldn't you be going to the Fuhrer? Boss? Boss!"

Mustang looked idiotically at his trusted subordinate. The image of a certain happy-trigger woman popped up in his head and it was enough to drag him out of his state. If he could, he would have jumped over his desk to reach the door faster.

In the very moment he laid his hand on the doorknob, Riza opened the door. She backed slightly to allow her commanding officer more space to get out and do his job. Blowing her red nose with a handkerchief, she made a mental note to make a call later that day. Very later that day, to be more specifically, as Roy found his Working Muse. 'I really should talk to Grandpa and ask him to stop giving him such exciting jobs. It's enough I have to baby-sit him, last thing I need him injured by his stupid ideas!' she sighed. Mustang had a way in finding the worst possible ways of solving a problem when he enjoyed his work this much. Because the only moment when he worked so hard at office was when really bad things were about to happen.

At exactly ten in the afternoon, she managed to drag herself from the office to the telephone room. 'No, no, a public phone is better.' She found a remote cabin in a back alley and dialled the number she usually typed when she felt lonely and needed some good old fashioned advice. The person on the other end of the line answered soon, in a guttural voice. "Yes?"

"Oh, Christina dear! How are you?" Riza said in a cheerful tone. Way too cheerful for a woman who threatened people with a gun on a regular basis.

"Elizabeth, is that you? Why, I'm fine, thank you! Such a pleasure hearing from you! Spit it out, I want to hear everything"

"Well, darling, you won't believe how lucky I got"

"What, tell me!"

"I'm going out with Ronnie, ha-ha!" the blonde giggled girly.

"No way! I so envy you! You always get the best of them" teased the voice from the speaker.

"I know! It's so great, right? I've got to get prepared for the date, call you later!"

"Yes! You must tell me every detail about it!" Riza hang up. She blew the hair form her face. 'She'll know what to do about him' she nodded at her reflection in the glass. Her getting lucky out of nowhere meant in a the office's coding that Roy was neck-deep in shit.

She sneezed once again, getting dizzy from it. 'Seriously?! I can't get a cold at this moment!'

XXXXX

_A few hours before, in the Fuhrer's office_

General Mustang opened the door to his supreme commander's office, a huge room with a huge desk and huge decorations. The room was anything but small.

Grandiose as the office was, since Grumman was named Fuhrer it looked more like a cosy Grandma living room, with couches and armchairs and smelling of freshly brewed coffee. On the fire place, he placed colourful vases, next to it he put an awkward looking statue of a horse (or, at least, everyone decided it had to be a horse, as even its owner didn't know too well what the animal really was), a corner was fully occupied by a tall cactus which he said it reminded him of the East, on the walls he hanged huge oil paintings of dead nature and animal chases next to the portraits of the previous Fuhrers, and, in the middle of the room reigned an oversized chess table. Not to mention the curtains he so tastefully changed, deep green. He said he wanted to make them look more patriotic, as their usual dull grey simply didn't awaken any country loving feelings in him. The one thing the old officer forgot was that if light is filtered by dyed cloth, it changes its colour. The curtains made his office successfully look like a serene jungle.

Roy blinked his eyes to accommodate with the overly decorated surroundings. 'This things have nothing subtle in them' he thought as he remembered when his mentor told him he wanted to add a subtle touch of originality to the plain office.

"Hello, Mustang! Glad you made it!" Grumman said from his desk.

"Pardon my tardiness, your Excellency"

"Hah, cut off that kissing-up-my-butt attitude. Say, did you find anything?"

"Yes"

The bespectacled man looked over his round glasses and smirked. "I knew I could count on you! So, do I get a report?"

"Not too soon, I'm afraid. The spy is dead to the world"

"But you know him, right?" Roy nodded. Grumman smiled like he won the grand prize. "Fine, Roy. You know you have free hand, just try to clean up after you finish"

"Thank you for the permission, Sir"

"Don't mention it. I have a wild guess who this fellow might be and if I'm correct, I hope he'll get the shorter stick of the deal. After all, we're partners in crime, so you bet you have my support"

"Don't talk like that, Sir. Who knows who might be listening?" Roy smiled all-knowingly.

"Who cares?" Grumman smiled. Like he gave a damn if someone listened. The horrid decorations weren't there just because he liked them so much he couldn't live without them; they were specially designed alchemical objects which made the room completely soundproof. The Flame took good care of them.

Roy saluted. The Fuhrer didn't return it and said instead "Oh, Roy? Just don't get yourself killed, yes?" The alchemist hummed and turned to the door.

XXXXX

Back in Resembool, Alphonse and Winry made future plans. They decided to set the wedding's day on the first Sunday of the next year's June.

"Haha, just a few months and I'll be Mrs Elric" Winry giggled. Al looked fondly at her nodded. He was so happy to marry the most beautiful woman in the whole universe, or at least that's how he saw it.

"Yeah" he said dreamily. Pinako entered the workroom and shook them out of their perfect pink world. "Winry, remember we have clients! Al, let the girl work"

"Right!" they said together. Granny left chuckling 'Oh, kids. Will they ever grow up?'

Winry resumed her work at the prosthetic. "I thought of something. I think Ed should be our best man"

"I think so too. Brother would be happy! He'll definitely accept. I just wonder who we should choose to formalise the marriage... I can't think of anyone we know who I'd like to do so"

She paused, wrench left in mid-air. After some pondering, she said "You think Mustang would accept to do it?"

XXXXX

Edward entered the reading room in the National Library to get some research done. It was an agreeable place, with many couches, coffee tables and ferns in pots. He took a seat in his usual spot and started reading till he heard some dubious whispering from the shelves of a faraway bookcase. He sneaked behind a big flowerpot to catch some of the discussion. 'I'm so lucky I'm sma- argh!' he gritted his teeth. He almost called himself small.

The conversation was hurried. Two men were talking – wait, Ed knew those voices. He moved to see the faces of the persons speaking in low voices.

"I'm telling you, General, it might be dangerous" Armstrong whispered. Roy waved his hand, saying there were no risks. "I have do it, Major. I will bring him to justice. He hurt my family – his family"

"I know. Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Yes. Please thank Olivier for her help, I owe her big time. Might not be able to repay her, knowing how she is so in love with me" the raven head joked.

"Heh, about that – she insisted on telling you that it's the first time you do something useful in your life"

Roy's onyx eyes widened mockingly. "Really? The Terrible Ice Queen? What happened to her? Did the age soften her?" he teased.

"Sir, don't forget she's not a lot older than you are, not older at all" Alex made a dangerous look, also surprised by his sister's kindness regarding his superior. It was common knowledge that the two hated each other to the bone.

"You know it's impossible to remember the age of a person when she wants to murder you with a flowerpot" Mustang's grin widened. He recalled the golden minute when Major General Olivier Armstrong threw a blue flowerpot at his head and wished him to become impotent. Roy just couldn't help making fun of her every time they saw each other, and she never missed the chance to respond. But reminding her of how she almost dated a transvestite way back in the academy drove her over the edge. He mocked her to no end after he heard the story. It was a well-guarded secret, as the woman had her pride and made sure the "man" who so nicely courted her got her punishment for making her look bad, but nothing was enough well-guarded for the two best friends, Roy and Maes, who knew every single gossip since the formation of the state.

Mustang smiled sadly at the memory and moved closer to the wall, getting past Edward's safe zone. The teen shivered but stood still, as he knew any movement could blow up his cover. Fortunately, the two officers didn't notice him.

"Anyway, I have to ask you a favour, Alex. Under no circumstances Fullmetal should find out about this, alright?" Roy demanded with a tint of worry.

"Oh course. You can count on me, Sir, whatever your reasons are" the massive alchemist smiled behind his yellow moustache.

"Thank you. See you later, Major. Send my best regards to your family when you can – especially that nice sister of yours. Also, tell her I dug up some other things from her glorious past. Oh, I can't wait to tell her. Delicious, I'm telling you. Just delicious!" an evil line curved on the General's lips.

"Fine, but I advise you to postpone your intentions for a while. It'd be a shame to be killed by her rage before you reach your goal"

"And to stop living with the thrill? No, thank you. I've got other plans" Roy chuckled and patted Armstrong on the shoulder. He left the library followed soon by the other.

Edward lifted from behind the plant, wondering what they were talking about. I mean – he understood Roy had a sadistic pleasure in jumping at Armstrong's older sister's neck, but who was that "him" who "hurt my family"? Who hurt Mustang's family? And why was it so important to keep it a secret from him? He needed to find out.

XXXXX

Chris Mustang, better known as Madame Christmas, took a deep drag out of her rose scented cigarette and watched the smoke dissipate in the air. Roy's aunt and foster mother, she returned to Amestris to rebuild the bar she blew up as a diversion sometime before the Promised Day. With her reputation clean, she brought back the working girls and resumed her information network.

The other day, Riza Hawkeye called her under the fake name "Elizabeth". "Christina" was her own cover. Though it wasn't necessary to talk like that every time, the trust-worthy team continued to use the old code names as to keep up the charade they created over the years.

Chris was not, by any means, stupid. She was a sharp woman and a fine observant, just as she taught her dear Roy. She adopted him after her older brother and sister-in-law were killed and raised him to become a good man, as she often said. She caught some uneasiness from her foster child the last time she saw him and Riza's call only confirmed it. Something was bothering him, and whatever it was, it was going to pay dearly for that. Not like she didn't suspect what the cause was, but nonetheless – a good informer has to do some check-up before jumping to conclusions.

She called Roy on his office phone in the afternoon and asked him whether he was up to some poker. Happy to change the scenery and to be able to shift his thoughts from the many problems he had, he accepted the invitation and headed for her bar.

There, he was welcomed by many sweet glances and lustful looks. He smirked nonchalantly and took a seat at the bar. Madame Christmas smiled at him fondly. "My, my, our best customer. Care to pass by?"

"Heh, didn't know you were so desperate, Madame. Long time no see"

"Indeed. Well, say Roy-boy, what do you want to drink?"

"A droplet of water in a bottle of whiskey" His aunt rose her curved brows. "What's with this language, young man? I don't recall rising you this bad mannered. My whiskey is the best in Central!"

"Exactly! On the rocks and as double is can be, would you mind, dear darling?" he kissed her forehead and moved to a table where he recognized some old drinking buddies.

Not long after, Madame Christmas and two girls joined them and a heated poker game began. Just as usual, everyone declared bankruptcy but Roy and his aunt, who both wiped the table clean of chips. Their fellow gamers promised to win the next time, but they all knew it was impossible to beat those two. Chris was the best player in Central and Roy learnt how to play from her.

It was late at night when the Mustangs moved to a remote booth. The woman's sly features softened ever so slightly as she lit up a floral cigarette. In an elegant manner, she moved her smoking hand while talking. "So, Roy, how's your life?"

"Well, same as usual, Madame. Papers, papers and Elizabeth trying to kill me" he replied jovially.

"Very well, she does. Get her hitched, already!" she punched softly his arm. He cracked a smile "Taken as usual, that's it"

"I see..." She tilt her head on the side and gave him an accomplice look. "Did you set your mind on someone, sweet tooth?"

"Not my kind. You know I won't settle down too soon" he shook his head, the black bangs moving in a circular motion.

"Really? How about that Blondie of yours?"

"Excuse me?" Hit the nail, didn't she?

"Tell me, my boy, how do you see that kid-subordinate of yours?" she leaned back on the leather couch. Knowing all too well who she was talking about, he retorted without giving it a second thought. "Fullmetal is a valuable ally and a good strategist, but too impulsive and reckless. Why?"

"Don't lie to me. My sources tell me otherwise. I hear you hang out a lot with him. "

"I don't know about your sources, they might be getting rusty and I-"

"You nothing. My poor little Roy-boy, you are still so blind, even after such a long period since you recovered your vision. You should stop looking at everything but what's in front of you" she shook her head disappointed. His onyx eyes avoided the deep blue orbs. "What do you mean, Madame?"

"Pay more attention to your feelings. You look well, but you are down. Whatever, I heard you are going after some spy, heh?"

The sudden shift of subject didn't go past Roy's perceptive mind, but he ignored it. He nodded "We both know who the spy is" Chris chuckled at that and crushed her cigarette in the ashtray. "I'm sure you'll take care of it. But remember what I've told you earlier" She left him in front of his half empty glass of liquor.

XXXXX

*RIIIIING*

Roy's home phone rang nervously. He oozed out of the bed and answered the call. "Mustang"

"Hello, Sir, it's me" a stifled female voice spoke to the speaker.

"Lieutenant, are you alright?"

"Yes, but I caught a terrible cold. I've got high fever and I can't get in good terms with my nose. May I take the day off, General?"

Roy scratched the back of his head. A day away from the threatening gun at his temple, it sounded too good to be real. "Permission granted. Take care of yourself and return as soon as you feel better"

"Thank yo-ACHEW! Sorry, Sir, the cold got the better of me"

"No problem. Keep in touch on your condition. Goodbye, Lieutenant"

"Goodbye, Sir"

'Great, who's gonna drive me now? Argh, worst time for a cold, when I'm in the enemy's finder' It was going to be a long day.

XXXXX

Edward searched in the military personnel documentation for Mustang's file. It had to be somewhere around there... 'There ya go! Let's see what skeletons you have in the closet'

Orphan since he was just a little child, Roy was raised by a close sibling. That was all that wrote on his family. 'What the hell? Even I have a more detailed bio!' Clearly, the military files weren't the place to search through. Visibly impatient, he paced back and forth in the ink smelling room. What was so important to be kept away from him? He kicked a pile of books with his flesh foot and they fell to the ground. A single book opened and a note fell from it. The words were written in a neat script and they were disgustingly sappy.

XXXXX

Roy walked to his office, as his house was quite close to the headquarters. He didn't bother taking his own car; the weather was too beautiful to waste the gas for something like that. It was no longer raining.

Work was slow without his precious assistant. He had absolutely zero determination to sign the papers he was given by the red haired woman who temporarily replaced the Lieutenant. She flirted and flew her eyelashes at him in obscene ways to get his attention, but his mind was so far away. His mind was on his secret mission. No, it wasn't. It was on his aunt's words from the previous night.

'Considering my feelings... why is everyone saying this to me?' he thought as he took a sip from his coffee. Damn, he missed Hawkeye's miraculous coffee already. The red bitch – she forgot the milk.

Five utterly boring hours passed totally eventless and Roy almost fell asleep on top of his papers. A soft knock on the door woke him up.

"Sir, the Fullmetal alchemist is requesting to see you"

'Fullmetal?! What's he doing here?'

XXXXX

Less than an hour ago, Edward figured out what the note from the book meant. It sounded like a love letter, but in fact it was a message to Fuhrer Grumman. It was definitely Roy's, as the code was very similar to the one he used, which consisted in either female names or eternal love testimonies. The text which resulted from his code cracking was a bit shocking, as he didn't know anything about the mission that was mentioned there. _The spy from Drachma is River. Found him. Mission on process._

XXXXX

Roy quickly arranged his hair and straightened his uniform. He didn't want to look like he was about to dose off, especially not in front of Edward, who entered with a paper bag.

"Hey, General bastard! Heard you were Hawk-less and though to come by and annoy you. Wow – that's a lot of work" he motioned for the small fort of papers on the desk.

"Yes, it's inconvenient, but I will survive" Mustang smirked. It was a pleasant surprise to have the blond alchemist in his office, considering he threatened him three days ago. But he was too curious to see what the teen had up his sleeve. He definitely wanted something.

"Yeah, yeah, pity. I've got nothing to do today; wanna help ya with the reports?"

Roy's eyes twitched in pure ecstasy. "That'd be more than welcomed"

"Fine, but let's eat. I guess you didn't eat lunch, so I brought something" Ed put the paper bag on the coffee table and unpacked the food he bought from a nice restaurant nearby where one could also take out for home. They ate silently, sometimes exchanging some dull chit-chat. The temporary secretary came in after knocking and peeped at Ed, who was laughing at an unknown joke Roy made. 'You mean he refused to have lunch with me just to have lunch with a guy like that?!' she thought and put some papers on the already full desk.

"Sir, those are all the papers for today. I was announced that there are many who took a few days off, so you have less reports" she said in a high pitched voice.

"Fine, thank you, Second Lieutenant. I will look on them and call you when I finish" She nodded and left.

"Wow, you dismiss like that such a woman? You must have some loosen screws or some hottie next door, General" Ed bumped his elbow in Roy's shoulder and they began laughing. "I don't know what to say, Fullmetal. Maybe, maybe not" The blond made a disbelieved face and rose a few times his brow, like he knew very well what Roy meant. In reality, he had no idea, or declined most of the possibilities.

Edward proved to be very good at faking signatures and helped his commanding officer to finish the mounts of formal papers. He was surprised that the fake-looking woman brought him so much paperwork at once but he guessed Hawkeye brought him the same amount, but at a certain interval of time. So she could check up on him. Smart.

Their triumphal last report was signed a little after six in the afternoon. The two alchemists stretched in their chairs and began gathering their things. The red haired Lieutenant took the papers away and excused herself.

"Sheesh, what an annoying woman. Why does she look like she wants to kill me?" the blond scowled.

"Maybe she didn't like that you spend the whole day here, when she could have molested me with her advances. I always hate when Hawkeye is not here because I have to be harassed by that woman" the brunette suspired.

"Poor you"

"Yes, poor me. By the way, Fullmetal, do you care for a late coffee?"

"With you? Why would I?!" Ed crossed his arms.

"I... my explosion from a few days ago was the most unfortunate... you know that wasn't me. I have little memories of what happened, but I remember I was pissed on something. And so were you. So you can call it a reconciliation coffee. It is the best coffee, they say!"

'Did he just apologise? Wow... so many surprises today... maybe I can get him to tell me what I shouldn't hear' Fullmetal thought. "Fine, bastard, a coffee sounds great. But this time, try to remember not to put milk in it"

"Alright, I'll try. But some milk wouldn't do you any harm. Who knows, you might grow a little more... or did your puberty end? Oh my, how children grow..."

"You truly want to be killed in your sleep, don't you" Ed threatened. Roy looked at him and smirked. "You wouldn't"

"Give me one more reason, and I will"

XXXXX

Roy made a potful of coffee and poured it in two large mugs, adding some milk in his. Despite the very late hour, the famous alchemist duo made a habit out of drinking their coffee together late at night at Mustang's house.

'Fullmetal seems a little too desperate. What do you have in mind, little runt?' Mustang stirred the liquid to melt the sugar and gave it to his subordinate in the living room. "There you go"

"Thanks. So – how's been your life?" Roy stared at Ed. "My life? Err... same as usual? I don't know, I haven't thought of it. Why?" 'What does everyone have with my life and feelings?! Sheesh, I'm not a girl' he thought.

"Making conversation. By the way, how come you didn't give me any missions? All your team is busy with something and I have nothing to do. That means you have some secret thing going on"

"Who knows?" the raven head took a sip from the black drink. "Maybe we have, maybe we don't"

'Shit, I won't get anything from him. Time to get emotional, then' "Hey, Mustang? I thought a lot about our fight. Do you remember what you did?"

"As I've already said, faintly, but yes. Main events" he lied. In fact, he could recall everything. He did stupid things when drunk, but he remembered them all.

"I always wanted to tell you something. It's embarrassing, but... well, I meant the... you know. Last thing before we both went on a rampage" Roy didn't flinch, just drunk his coffee. 'Oh, so that's the plan, Ed? That's dirty even for you'

The blue mug in Roy's hands was put on the table in front of them. Edward approached him on the couch and stared in his depthless pools, so black he could see himself in them. Without a word, he kissed the man whom he pinned with his automail arm. This time, none of them pulled back. Just stood like that, lip to lip, letting the time pass. Freeing his hands, the Flame cupped the younger's chin and deepened the kiss. The intrusion felt weird, but Ed didn't complain. He started to feel something. 'You need information, you need...' he tried to remind himself, but to no avail.

Roy shifted them so he would be on top of the smaller frame. They battled for dominance, none of them willing to subside. Obviously, the older won it without too much struggle, but it wouldn't be fun to have him without a fight. To have the most acid person in your arms, it deserved some resistance.

They rolled and fell on the fluffy carpet on the floor. Lips still connected, broken apart just for very short seconds for breathing. It was a small taste of heaven, or more likely of freshly brewed coffee. Roy brought his hands under Ed's black top and took it off. An automail arm striped him out of his shirt and threw it on the other side of the room, buttons flying in the air around them. Seeing the flushed teen on fire when he couldn't open his sturdy belt, Roy smiled and then kissed the other's nose. "Impatient, are we, Edward?"

"Shut up and just open it. Now" Not being able to deny such an order, Roy forced his own belt open and zipped Ed's pants, getting the offending cloth out of his way. Ed was a panting mess and it didn't help to have his neck nipped by an experimented mouth. It moved to his already perked up nipples. It felt so strange yet so good... "Argh, cut the teasing. It's lame!"

"Really? Can't say I see you bored" Roy whispered in his ear and gave a lick to the lobe. 'That's so wrong... so wrong' he thought and slid Ed's boxers down to find him painfully hard. He smirked and gave the hot flesh a squeeze, eliciting muffled moans from the blond who covered his mouth to stifle the sounds. "Hey, I want to hear you... you sound so sweet" the General purred and assaulted his neck. The smaller man jolted in his pumping hand and grunted when the skilful tongue left his pulse. He didn't want it to stop, it was too good...

"Argh!" he nearly chocked when he felt some hot pressure on the tip of his arousal. Matters worse, the image between his legs was the most erotic he has ever seen in his life. Roy licked sloppily around the proudly standing dick and moved his head to kiss the interior of his hips, lower and lower, till he got to the automail barrier. He placed butterfly pecks on the scars, which seemed to be erogenous spots, till he felt a hand tangle in his hair. "Stop it... argh! No! Ahhh...!" Roy returned to his need and took it swiftly in his mouth and bobbed his head up and down a few times. The fingers in his hair tensed and he was pushed into an alert rhythm. He took him deeper and deeper in his mouth. "Mhm, oh God... Argh, Musta- ngh, Roy!" Ed incoherently spoke, closer and closer to his climax. The warm seal on his aching cock disappeared and he grunted at the loss.

"Not yet, Edward. Not yet" he moved his attention to his partner's swollen lips and tangled his tongue with his. He brought his right hand to the half opened mouth and played a little with the rosy lips. Ed, not really knowing what to do, licked them. When he was sure they were wet enough, Roy replaced them with his mouth in another breath-taking kiss. The fingers trailed a straight line over his chest and stomach, teasing the teen to no end. He encircled the ring of muscles and pushed a single digit inside. Surprisingly, Edward didn't show any discomfort and it made the General really wonder 'What are you doing alone... thinking of someone special, Ed?' He stroked his insides and added a second finger. A little frown formed on Fullmetal's forehead, signalling some faint pain in his back. 'Aha, there you are! So you didn't do it with anyone like that' Roy thought.

He inserted the final digit. Edward almost bit his tongue when he felt the intrusion and cursed hard. "Fuck, damn, urgh!" Roy scissored his fingers inside his younger partner and moved his other hand to his chest and played with his nipples to ease the pain. He knew he hit Ed's prostate when the little body stiffened and curved. "There, do that aga-ARGH! Roy!" Mustang withdrew his fingers and liberated himself from the tight confines of his pants. Opening the creamy thighs more and positioning himself at the entrance to the future short-lived paradise, he asked "Are you sure it's okay? I have no lubricant, so it might hurt"

Ed opened his golden eyes with a look that screamed bloody murderer. "Are you mad in the head, Mustang?! Screw pain, if I didn't want it, I wouldn't be here, un-ARGH! Shit, that hurts!" he panted as Roy slowly pushed in, taking all of his will and determination not to pound in that lovely tight hole. He let the smaller man adapt to the intrusion for a very few seconds and pulled back, leaving only the tip inside. Ed whimpered at the sudden loss and moaned when the large dick found its way back in him. Roy didn't mind the blond's swears and started going back and forth in a slow pace. He hit again the bundle of nerves that made Fullmetal scream his name, and rammed in it again and again.

"Faster, Roy! Fa- oh God! OH!" he mewled in an unearthly need. 'Damn, I shouldn't enjoy this...'

"No need to call me like that, my name is enough" Roy joked, getting a metal punch in his cheekbone.

"Shut up, Mustang" Edward averted and motioned for the elder to move faster.

Roy sped up the already quick pace, driving Edward mad with an overflowing lust. He grabbed the forgotten throbbing cock between them and pumped in the same time with his precise thrusts. Fullmetal was even more vocal (if that was possible), signalling his release. Mustang slowed down a bit to only compensate with more force. He fully savoured the lingering sensation he felt in his lower body. 'Shit, I'm close... Ed, do your thing, I'd hate to finish first' Like hearing his thoughts, Edward spilled his hot load over their stomachs and hit a spot on Roy's chin. The latter smirked and let a low grunt go past his lips when he released deep inside the tensed cavern. Still panting, he kissed the teen raw on his parted lips and they descended from their high together.

They broke for air and stared in each other's eyes. For the first time in such a long period, Roy felt happy. He had someone important to him in his arms, flushed and gasping, and most importantly - willing. The golden gem he treasured since he first saw it, glowing in the darkest despair. He was not sure if what they did was real or was just a mere show of hormones and lust, or a play to spill some secrets, but it made his slowly dying heart feel more alive than ever. Like the fire in the other's solar eyes melted it.

Edward could feel all his body aching. It was just too surreal to have his fantasies fulfilled by the man he set his eyes for so many years without knowing. He was the corner of shadow he desperately needed. 'I know he doesn't mean it, but maybe... no, I need to find out what he's hiding. No feelings here' he lied to himself. He knew he wanted Roy for himself but he just didn't want to understand he was also wanted. Because he was not.

The lack of reaction from the blond made Roy impatient. He lifted Edward up, still deep inside him, and put him on the dining table. "Tell me, Fullmetal, why have you come today? You want me so much or is it just information you need me to say? Don't worry – I don't spill secrets in bed" he started thrusting again in the sprawled man, letting his mind drift in the darkest thoughts.

XXXXX

Roy jumped a little when he chewed some blonde hair and spewed it. Not the best way to wake up in the morning after a very wild night, but the still asleep alchemist on his chest just erased all the doubts he had the previous night. He could see it coming, he knew Edward was going to sense something was off in the office, but he didn't want to endanger him. He was too important. He slid from the couch and went upstairs to dress for work.

Edward woke up soon after. He no longer had strong arms around his waist. It smelled like cooked bacon... He looked up to see the clock – it was six AM. Roy couldn't have left for work. It was too early.

Indeed, he was in his bedroom in a very twisted position. "Where the hell are they?" he mumbled with some toast in his mouth. He was only in his blue uniform pants and with just a heavy military boot on, the other thrown in front of the door. "Aha!" he said triumphant. He took a velvet package out of the nightstand and put it in his pocket. He put a white shirt on, lifted his forgotten boot and diddled it. Edward looked at him in disbelief. 'Is that man okay with his head?'

"Hey, good morning, Edward" Roy said as he licked his fingers he just inserted in a strawberry jam jar that appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, 'morning. What on Earth are you doing?"

"Getting ready for work?" Roy asked more than answered. "Are you hungry? Let's eat some breakfast!" he called from the stairs, voice cheerful and, to put it bluntly, eerie. 'What's with this mood?' Ed mentally questioned.

The table was already set for them and hot omelette was in both their dishes. Roy made it after he put some clothing on, knowing the smell of food would shift the starved teen out of the dream land. And it would keep him occupied while he searched for the package he hid in his pants.

"How come you are awake at this hour? Don't you start work at eight?" Edward tried to make conversation.

"I have to be earlier at work today. With no hawk's eyes to watch me do paperwork, business is slow" he lied. In reality, he was expecting some report about the Drachma spies from his Lieutenant. The cold seemed to be a welcomed coincidence. His plan was in its final stage, and nothing could ruin it. Or...

"Roy?"

"Mhm?" 'My, my, already on first name basis. So reckless, Fullmetal'

"I need to know something. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed last night and it was all with no previous plan in mind, but I am definitely sure you are hiding something from me" Edward demanded, fire in his eyes. The same fire he had when Roy first met him.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself" Roy stabbed a tomato with his fork and ate it.

"You still haven't answered me" his speech was completely ignored. "You know what? Let's do it your way – who is River?" Roy choked with his coffee and look up with worried eyes. 'How the hell did he find out?'

* * *

A/N: Please tell me you didn't hate the sex part... that's what you get. Hate it? Like it? How do you find the story in general? Review/follow/favourite! It boosts me up!

And also lots of thanks to everyone who follows this story! Till the next time... ta-ta!


	6. 6 - They call it family

A/N: Long time no see! Sorry for the late update, but there's so little time for writing these days... It sucks, really :(

I'm kinda confused by this chapter. But here it is, as I want to write the next (for which I have some pretty good ideas) and I hope you'll enjoy it even a little. It will get better, I promise. Tell me what you think!

I don't own FmA, only the plot and the OCs. And there are a few. As per warnings - violence. Lots. And fluffy fluff. I don't know what's wrong with me:))

Don't shoot me after you read, please...

* * *

Chapter 6 – They call it family

How did Edward find about River? Did he say something? He never let anything slip. Unless he... 'Shit, did he read the note I left to Grumman' But how? No, it wasn't a reliable presumption. He was very good at hiding stuff. He was a natural at that! But he learnt the man's pseudo name, so...

"I see it rings some bells. So, who's this guy?"

"You don't need to know" Roy replied dreamily, hoping his disinterest might determine Edward to drop the subject. Now, would you look at it, the yolk is so round... and orange... amazing...

"Oh, yes I need to know. You said it with your own mouth that I shouldn't hear about it. So it concerns me, alright"

"No, it doesn't. It's a confidential matter"

"Then why did you make Armstrong promise you he won't tell me? And what does the Major General have to do with it? It has something to deal with Drachma? Oh, and I heard you talking about your family. Your file says absolutely nothing about your family" Double shit, he overheard the discussion with Armstrong. How bad was his luck? Oh, and his bio?!... How did an Alchemist have an access to information destined for the Court Martial? Well, he had, but he was 'allowed', as he liked to call it. Blackmailing the officers was counted as allowance and, let's be serious - who wouldn't do anything for a short tempered man that could set everything on fire by snapping his hands.

"What? You searched my file?!" So that's how he found the note. Makes some sense, right? So bloody great, that's what you get when you challenge a genius – it all turns against you. Only that he didn't challenge him, it was an unfortunate accident. That week really was his worst in the whole year. The lady from the horoscope rubric of Central Times should shove up her ass the article about his sign 'having luck on its side'. He should sew her; he might get some good money from her for a long vacation to alleviate his shortened-out nerves.

"Yeah... I- I didn't know you're an orphan. Never figured you don't have someone else besides your aunt"

"Are you that interested in my family?" Ed nodded. "Bastard, shouldn't I be? You know virtually everything about mine, and I have no idea about yours! I mean, I didn't know you are half Xingese. Though it was kinda obvious"

"You've done some research. I see..." Row nodded his head like the whole world started to unfold before his eyes. He smiled, the corners of the mouth curving rudely.

The damn smug bastard! How could he smirk like that? Ed's face heat up. One simple remark drove him over the edge. "So what? It's not like I'm interested in you... Call it possible material for black mail, would you?"

Roy raised his eyebrows. "Aham..." he made.

"It's not like that! I mean, argh, you're such a dick I don't know what I'm doing here" Fullmetal pouted while he cut some bacon. Hm, Roy could cook edible food... it never occurred to his mind.

"Aham..." the Flame alchemist repeated. He enjoyed a little too much Edward's fussing and tangling in his own words. Maybe the week was getting a bit better.

"Don't 'aham' me! That's not what I meant! But it's kinda awkward to talk to someone you don't know shit about, not to mention to sle... I mean - argh! Whatever! You got my point" 'Fuck, you make me talk without thinking!' he screamed mentally. Hundreds of expressions danced on his face as he spoke. The small facial muscles said more than any words could.

Roy sighed. "Yes. But it's better not to know, or at least not now" What should he say more? He could feel those golden eyes burning holes in his forehead and it almost stung. "I don't want something to happen to you, and if I will tell you about it, I can't guarantee for your safety. And you will most likely mess my plans, as you always do. And I mean always!"

"So that's it! You're so fucking dense, Mustang! You don't trust me at all" The older alchemist made a face, but Ed waved it off. "Ya don't! Admit it!"

"I do!"

"Nope. If you did, you'd have told me. It proves my point. So, it's this way? Good to know" Edward snorted, making a face. "You know, you sure are full of shit, Mustang"

Why was Ed so eager to know about his past? Was it just a mere curiosity, and not the previously shown attraction that drove him into the more than illegal sexual intercourse with his superior? They violated about five military rules only by touching, the kiss got them another five or six sanctions, the next things they did could grant them a long time in prison if found. The military really was tough for those who lo-whatever, it was not the moment to reflect on the blond's feelings. They were double-edged, as it seemed.

"Oh, please - if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have helped you. Though I prefer to know everyone is safe and not endangered by me. So, was the food good?" It was like his manipulative skills flew off the window which, by the way, he should wash soon. Some oil sprayed on it, and the light was blocked by the stains. He put his dishes in the sink, thinking hard about the stained glass.

"Yeah, it was, but that's not it... " Edward started, looking at his back. There goes his great scheme of washing the windows.

As if he didn't notice the tenseness in the man in front of him, he continued "Roy, ya know something? I'll let you be. I don't give a shit about your life. Doesn't mean I won't bother you anymore with it, 'cause you have something to do with your life and there's no need to waste yourself into some dangerous mission! I didn't get back this bloody automail" he waved his metal arm "so you could get killed before you become Fuhrer. You can do it after that, and I think I'll be the one to cut your neck if you continue with this bullshit! But you see-"

Roy was at the point of wanting to throw him out. For the name of all the Gods he knew of, if he heard again that kind of lecture, he didn't know what he would do next. Also, why was Edward so bipolar? Didn't he say it was the same for him? Now it mattered?! He contradicted himself in two consecutive phrases! Semantics, boy!

"I can help, I've been through a lot, you know I did, and how I've strived. But your stupid brain doesn't seem to remember" Mustang looked at his subordinate who had a look of something close to worry plastered on his face. 'Shit, so much for discretion' he cursed and stroked the rosy cheeks of his previous night lover. He didn't want to hurt the one for whom he suffered so long without knowing he cared for. Why did he have to realise his feelings ran that way?! It was easier to just yell at him and not give a damn.

But not as pleasant. It was one of the very few times in his life when Roy felt like the Earth rotated around him. It was like he found some kind of happiness in the partly dismembered man in front of him.

Still, it was too early to say. Knowing his luck, Roy only could pray not to say something that would make Edward go berserk. Neah, he will most likely screw up, of course. He was good with women and men or whatever he took to his bed, but it was harder to deal with feelings. He didn't need new cicatrices on his already full-of-scars body. The war was nice enough to earn him some stiches, so no, mind you.

He could do well without some fresh ones.

XXXXX

_Twenty-five years ago, in an Amestrian military warehouse_

She woke up, mouth gagged and arms pinned high on the wall by heavy handcuffs. There was so much blood... Her blood? Not all of it, it was a little too much to be only hers. So not only hers. She lifted her heavy eyes to find all her thugs hanged in the air, dead. Well, most of them, as others were still sobbing in pain.

Wonderfully sordid.

*TAPTAPTAP*

A handsome blond dressed in military pants and a black shirt hit the metallic fake-wall behind her with a stick and smiled at her. The sound he made was unbearable and it made her feel groggier than she already was. "Hello, hello, beauty! Have you slept well? The mattress was too hard? Haha, like you had one. I'm such a joker" he loosened the gag to give her more space to breath. Immediately after her mouth was freed, she spit in the soldier's face. He backed off slightly so the saliva wouldn't touch his skin, too fine for an army dog. "What did you do to my men, you monster?"

"Surprised?" he asked mockingly. "That's what happens to those like you"

"You are exactly like me" she said, spitting venom.

"Nope. Unlike you, I haven't been caught. Save your breath, you'll need it. Scum" He put the gag back on and left the woman to his men.

She moved her eyes to her immobilised feet. What went wrong? Her plan was flawless. Kill the targets and snatch the compromising documents that guaranteed a war that would have created a weaponry crisis in Amestris, which was in full war at the Northern border, and pass them to her employer (an armament mogul from her native country, Xing, who was now pinned on the wall, next to her, more dead than alive)... they weren't supposed to be discovered by the internal affairs squad... Someone must have sold her out. Or Amestris had very good soldiers.

Whatever it was, she vowed on her dead parents' grave to protect the well kept secrets she knew and never sell off her country. The country which abandoned her, the country that destroyed her childhood and took away all the humanity she ever had. Anyway, from the moment she chose that retched path, she was declared dead to the world. Killed by the fire which took away her parents and half of her village so many years ago. How long ago, actually?

Long ago.

Good one, darling. Who was she kidding? Those were her thoughts back from when she was weak. The time for despair was long gone. She never gave a single dime about Xing, nor its people, not after everything that happened. She had others to care about; she didn't need to look after the nation she swore loyalty to, all in vain. She definitely had many better things to do.

A gentle tremble woke her up from the unconsciousness. She opened her almond shaped eyes and stared at the person in front of her who had a kind mien carved in his royal features. It was the same soldier that commanded those that beat her just a few hours before. He pinched her nose and opened the restraints around her mouth and hands, beautiful enough for a queen. He picked her up and exited the dirty warehouse. She caught a glimpse of her employer standing dead in a pool of blood, shot in the head. What a great loss, she grimaced. 'Useless crook. He didn't even pay well'

She didn't resist being mover around. It was warm in those familiar arms. She closed her obsidian eyes and drifted into a relaxing slumber.

The next thing she saw was the same smiling face from before. They were in a military train, alone in a cosy berth. The pain from her wounds was almost gone. The soldier rocked her gently in his lap and hummed a lullaby his mother used to sing to him. He enjoyed it, as it reminded him of the time all his family got along. Not really noticing she was no longer asleep, he continued to play with her long black hair until his hand was bitten playfully. He looked down at her and grinned.

"You're finally awake, my flower"

"Maybe I wouldn't have fallen asleep if you had restrained those mindless barbarians! There's no need to kill me for a diversion, Cenric! That's not our job" she pushed his hands away and stood up. He grabbed her waist and tugged at it. "Ouch, it still hurts, brute"

"Sorry, Amaya, love, but I had to. You know it. We have to make it look real. I'll be gentler next time, I promise. Would that do, my flower?" he kissed her on the forehead.

"Fine, silly. And I'm not a kid, to be kissed on the forehead! What are you, a man or a dummy?"

"Whatever my angel wants" he smirked and glued his lips to hers forcefully.

...

The trip on the train was fairly long and quite pleasant, as the two spent it in each other's arms, talking nonsense. It was nice to have a break after a complicated mission. It was like a blessing.

The hits on Amaya's frail body were now barely visible. The beating sounded horribly painful, but in reality the wounds never stung, as the palm was cupped and very little force was applied. She had to thank her very nice colleagues (mercenaries, mostly renegades – very nice guys and loyal if you knew how to treat them) for using that non-lethal technique and not bruising her face, as she truly hated to have black spots on her milky skin and definitely didn't want her neighbours ask her why she had wounds all over her.

Didn't look good on your typical house wife next door, indeed.

Amaya and Cenric have been job partners for about ten years and their speciality was diversion. She usually infiltrated different criminal organisations and Cenric chased after her, actions coarse and obvious so that everyone would fuss in terror. No one knew their faces; panic was easy to create out of rumours. They mainly alimented an inexistent conflict. In their rush to cover everything up, those who were suspects would always forget something behind or do something unthinkable, and that's how they caught the criminals. Simple and efficient. Her 'torture' was more for giving the soldiers something to talk about. And for Cenric's pleasure, as the man was a sucker for seeing her chained. It was the only moment when he had any control over her, that wild she was.

She was, after all, his wild flower.

Their first encounter was blurry to both of them as they lost too much blood during their fervent fight, but she couldn't forget the moment when he managed to smack her head on the floor and asked her whether she was satisfied with her third-rated missions. He told her she was better than that and she could get real assignments and earn not only more money, but also recognition in their world. Only if she followed him.

Having nothing to lose, as all her family was dead and her job was of a low-life, she followed him. She abandoned her mother land, Xing, and changed sides for Amestris, Cenric's country. She didn't have anything to lose, as she didn't have any patriotic feelings. She became one of the best spies out there in a record time, closely followed by her saviour, who she still didn't know why he chose to drag her out of the misery she was in. Though that's not what really mattered. Truth to be told, all that mattered to her was that she won the most important thing in her life, something she didn't imagine she'd earn under the vile touch of stinky old men and the disgraceful job of smuggling from nobles' thesaurus. She won pure and unadorned love.

Despite her previous occupation of prostitute and petty informer, she was a prideful person, a royal flower by any means. It took two years to convince the stringent woman to marry him, but the blond Amestrian considered the time he spent bending over his neck to only get her categorical refuse as the highest proof of love (he heard from a friend that if a Xingese woman refused your advances, but let you do things for her meant she was madly in love with you. It seemed rather true to him).

They eventually reached their destination. They had a nice house in a friendly village, where people didn't ask them why they were often absent and why dubious people visited their home from time to time. The military protected the villagers, most of them farmers, so no one bothered to argue or question them.

Cenric pressed the alarm button on which was written in red capital letters "Mustang". Next to the script was a small horse, drawn by their child. Amaya looked back at her husband with a sweet look and he returned the short glance fondly. Right from the door, a small boy with hair some shades darker than black jumped into the rather short woman's arms and greeted his parents with lots of kisses.

"Aunty! Hurry, Mommy and Daddy are here!" he giggled under the heavy blanket of loving pecks he received from the couple. He hugged them tighter.

"Easy, Roy, don't squeeze them too hard! You'll choke them!" a laughing woman spoke behind the child and pushed back some rebel strands of chestnut hair.

"Neah, don't worry, Sis" the man said. "We both missed him so much, right?"

"Right! Who wouldn't miss such a jewel of a boy?" the wife answered. Screw the injuries; her precious kid was the best ointment for them.

"Mommy, don't say that! You are more beautiful than I am! I'm ugly!"

"Really?" Cenric asked his child. "How come?"

"Didn't you say I'm a lot like you, Daddy?" Roy chuckled and ran back in the house. His father chased after him and caught him in mid-air. "You little devil, on whose side are you?"

"Mine!" the child shouted, a large grin never leaving his features.

...

A few weeks passed eventless. The couple didn't get too many jobs and they didn't require too much work. It wasn't that bad, they had more time for what really matter – family.

Speaking of family, there was Cenric's younger sister, Chris, fidgeting in a chair in the kitchen. She was troubled by something and her mimics showed it without any restraints. Funny, as she was great with hiding emotions. Pointlessly, Amaya made some idle conversation, but she didn't pay any attention. She replied mono-syllabically.

"I put Roy to bed" Cenric announced from the door. Chris lit up a floral cigarette and the tensed face relaxed, if only for a second. "He's alive and entered Amestris through Briggs. I've had his location confirmed and my men told me he was last seen not too far away" she stated mechanically.

"How... how the hell? I fucking twisted his neck with my own hands!" the man's naturally translucent skin turned cadaveric, a blue vein pulsing on his forehead.

"Apparently, you didn't twist enough" his younger sister commented and then, there was only silence.

Along some other illustrious families, the Mustangs have been in the secret services of Amestris' internal affairs department since its very formation. They were the country's shadow, the perfusion that prevented it from dying. They uncovered terrorist organisations and crushed them. Few knew about the true occupation of the Mustangs, they were well seen by everyone as they wrapped their name in a confortable reputation of "respectable people" – helping the others, working for their good and organising lots of charitable acts that hid their many crimes. In their world, killing for the country's welfare wasn't a misdeed. However, to those who heard the malicious facts about their activities, they remained atrocious murders. But those were too few and could be easily silenced if needed.

Being a Mustang, Cenric followed his ancestors in their rocky road to grave, along with his younger brother and sister. Chris Mustang was the second in the trio, an year younger than Cenric and an year older than the youngest of them, Telford. They were raised to serve the military in the most obscure missions and they were very close to each other, like nothing could tear them apart. By far, they were the best of their infamous kin.

They got together just fine. For some time. All until the black eyed and haired Xingese, Amaya, appeared in the scenery, brought by the kind-hearted Cenric for training. It was a tradition in their family to find people with potential and take them under its protective wing. Telford, a great match in all the compartments to his very attractive and outstandingly smart older brother, grew some sort of obsession for their protégée. Contrary to his shy nature (totally opposite to his sibling's straight forwardness) he found the courage to tell her his feelings towards her. Naturally, he felt betrayed when she replied to his declaration with shocking news. She was going to marry his brother to whom she didn't even show any interest and, not only that, she was also pregnant with a child Telford decided he would hate long before it was even born. The next hit was her little boy's appearance; he looked too much like her. Same eyes, hair and smooth features. From his father got the famous Mustang paper-pale skin, noble mouth shape, which always curved in that all-mighty smirk, and pointy nose, forever high with pride. The younger brother was easily confused from the distance with Cenric, as they were similar in appearance, and he couldn't help the fact that if the child had been his, it would have looked the same. That only made him despise the boy more.

However, the young family was happy. They had everything they needed, and only the savage missions the parents had to accomplish from time to time could break them apart. Only for a little while. Then, Chris would babysit their child, as she tried her best to finish her own assignments faster than scheduled.

Telford left the country soon after Roy was born to be welcomed by Amestris' fierce enemy – Drachma. He forgot everything he promised to his state and sold everything he knew to the other country, proving himself valuable. He received a fitting name, River, as his very own name spoke of water and his adaptability skills were remarkable.

The last words spoke to his family, especially addressed to his brother, were cruel and unnecessary. He vowed to pay back with blood the treason of having taken away the only woman he ever loved and, most importantly, his pride being shattered by his dearest sibling. It was a stupid thing to get mad over, as it was no one's fault that his love wasn't shared. Though his undue reaction wasn't without any fundaments, as Cenric was better seen by everyone, even his parents. He was never as good as Cenric. Never had Cenric's grades at school. Never had Cenric's high class friends. Never been that excellent. He was a nuisance. Damn, he was a veritable Mustang, a wild stallion, so everyone should have bowed to him, not treat him like garbage! Oh, and his brother almost snapping his neck in a nerve cracking argue didn't add much to their already bad relationship, only some more wrath and hatred.

Cenric rushed out of the room and up the stairs. His wife ran after him and, with great effort, she stopped him. "What the hell are you doing?!" she asked in Xingese when she saw him open the crate hidden in their shared bedroom's floor in which he stored most of the weapons.

"We have to get Roy out of here and hide him somewhere. It's safer" he said calmly and looked in his wife's inky eyes.

"Maybe he came with some business here. Maybe Drachma wants to start a war and they need a closure" she tried to find a good reason for the sudden and definitely not subtle arrival.

"No. You know that's not it. He would never let anyone know about his location, unless he wants to. Amaya, he promised me! We have to-"

"I can help" Chris said in Amestrian. She knew Xingese very well, but that wasn't the moment to talk in the language they all usually used when they were dead drunk and laughing hard. It was a serious matter.

"Sis, there's no need to! We can handle it!" he argued.

"No, you can't. The kid is the best target now. He has fewer motives to hit me than you two" She was quite right, they had to give her that. "Come on, I can do at least that. He's my nephew, after all"

"Could you do that, Chris?" Amaya asked with glassy eyes. It was the first time she ever trembled and she wasn't even sure whether she had a reason to or not. After all, they couldn't say if Telford really had such rash actions in mind.

The younger Mustang nodded and took out some ammunition out of the hidden locker. She might need it, as the gun she wore almost as frequent as any accessory ran out of it.

They went back downstairs and made a plan to get rid of the source of their distress, this time for good. Even if he came with peaceful thoughts (very improbable) he was a threat not only to the family, but also to the military it served. Their old man told them on his dying bed (or floor, murdered for supremacy by his best friend, a fellow spy) that they, his children, should never hesitate in anything they did. No matter what. They could as well kill each other, if needed. That inhuman they were.

A small voice creaked from the door. "Daddy, why are you saying you will kill Uncle?" The adults turned to face the child and his mother immediately hugged him. "Mommy, you said you only kill bad guys, not family" She ruffled his raven hair and said lowly "Roy, my dearest boy, Uncle did some terrible things. But you won't be harmed, I promise. We'll come back in no time"

Cenric agreed "Yes, Roy, trust Mommy. You are the only one that matters and you mustn't get hurt, under no circumstances, okay? You will go with Auntie somewhere, yes? We will come get you from there before you know it"

"Promise, Daddy?"

"Yes, Roy-boy. Promise"

Roy stared at his parents and rubbed his sleepy eyes. He was only five years old, but his mind could gasp more information than many very intelligent older children. He'd seen blood before; when he was only three years old, he assisted to his mother cutting a corrupted politician's neck right in front of him and he was not afraid of it. He knew those who his parents punished were vile and deserved their fate. It had to be done, she said.

But she also said family had to be united.

The big plan was to wait. None of the Mustangs knew what to do better. Sudden movements could do more harm than good. Cenric hired a place for his sister and son, and he and his wife visited them whenever they found time. They made sure no one was aware of their actions.

However, nothing happened in over three months. Absolutely nothing. Roy came from time to time and stayed home, closely watched by his protective Aunt. He couldn't blame his mother and father for not spending enough time with him – he was their most precious treasure and they didn't want to lose him.

And treasures had to be hidden well, beneath the watchful eye/

...

It was an average Sunday afternoon. An orange light crept through the heavy curtains. It was warm outside, as summer neared its end. The Mustangs were in the living room and played cards. Roy came with Chris to visit his parents. He was overjoyed to see them again, with all those precaution measures he didn't get too much time with them.

Chris excused herself and went to the kitchen to refill her coffee cup. On her way, she stopped suddenly as a noise came from the lawn and a heavy dust invaded the clear air outside. The front door flew open and confident steps tapped the hardwood floor.

It all happened too fast. Cenric hugged his wife and child like there'd be no tomorrow. He kissed them on their black hair and told them how much he loved them. He literally threw Amaya out of the room after Chris managed to snatch Roy and exit through the back door.

A bullet pierced through his shoulder. He took cover behind the couch. He exchanged some shots with the intruder. Good thing he had a gun with him all the time.

"Stupid older brother, I know you are here. I'll shower myself in your filthy blood and there's nothing you can do, ha-ha!" the man laughed madly, voice cracking.

"You've lost your mind, you savage! How could you do such thing to family?" Cenric shot back to gain some time for his to escape. Damn, he wasn't prepared for that!

"You're no family, Cenric. You took my everything and I want it back. I have no pride till you're not dead. I'll break your neck, as you almost broke mine" said Telford and pulled the trigger with a great grin plastered on his face. It faltered a bit when he didn't see any blood, but it was still there. He caught a glimpse of movement and rushed in its opposite direction. He knew that trick.

Just as he expected, his brother jumped on him and stabbed a knife in his back. Unfortunately, it didn't hit anything vital and the man didn't lose his balance. He threw them both on the floor in a deathly grip. They struggled and thrashed their clothes, none letting go. They both tightened their clench on each other's neck and kicked as hard as the position allowed. Noticing a small gap between him and his brother, Telford let go off the tendons he was crushing and rushed his hand to the other's eyes, stabbing his forefinger in the orb. The navy blue optic immediately turned into a bursting cherry and a scream soon followed.

Telford smiled at his achievement, pulled out the eye and threw it on the floor. The grip around his neck grew instable, only one hand surrounding it. Coming to his senses, Cenric let go of the bloodied hollow socket on his face and pressed both his hands on his brother's carotid. The younger man tugged his arms, poked his fingers in the elder's wounded shoulder and pushed deep into the abused flesh.

Cenric felt the little vision he still had left get blurry, like the room was filled with thick smoke. He felt a horrid new pain in his forearm. Teeth bit his tender flesh and tore it animally. He grunted in pain and coughed more blood.

Never been the kind to let go of an opportunity, Telford retuned his fists to his brother's bruised neck and clenched them harder, knuckles getting white and tips red. Tighter and tighter. The bones under his devilish touch were breaking, and more crimson liquid stained his dirty shirt. The older soldier struggled beneath him and hit the other everywhere he could, but not hard enough. He felt life drain easily from him... a beaming light invading the darkness that covered his smothered sight. He wasn't supposed to lose so easily...

The kicking stopped suddenly.

"That's all you can, idiot brother? You've gotten old" Telford sing-sung as he put Cenric down, choking him to death.

Without thinking too much, Telford left his brother rot on the floor and chased after his sister and sister-in-law. He moved like he could feel their scent. Maybe he could, as now he was no longer the sweet sandy blond child with dark blue eyes, he was a rabid animal with injected pools.

Indeed, he managed to distinguish his sister not too far away from the house. He pointed his gun to shoot, but someone tackled him down. He shot without looking and felt blood on his face. Not his, that was for sure. Amaya punched him hard in the stomach and he fell backwards. He rolled fast and caught her legs, making her fall flat on the grass. He broke her ankle but he also got his jaw dislocated by her other foot. He put it in place fast and implanted his heavy boot in her back. Something cracked under him. She kicked back with her broken leg and hit him hard in the shin, veins tearing form the sudden movement. With a grunt, he let her go and she rolled with the last of her forces and hit the air. Telford backed off, not sure if he could take another blow.

The woman didn't waste the chance and reached for the fallen gun. She shot him in the belly, but he also aimed for her chest with his other gun. Her small frame gave out, a crimson liquid spraying from her upper body.

"Amaya, my dear, you're so pathetic" he coughed some blood and kneeled next to her to caress her stained cheeks "...but I loved you so much... now you will join that dog of husband in dead. And I'll get tha- ARGH!" he screamed in pain and collapsed on the reddened plants from the trashed lawn, followed soon by a panting Cenric. Wet lurid liquid splattered from the wound he made in his aggressor's lower body. Telford stood still.

Amaya gagged with her own blood and spit it with great effort. The man she swore eternal love dragged himself next to her and laid his hands on hers and kissed her one last time before they both welcomed eternity together. They found the most pathetic death they could get. They failed their cause in an unpardonable manner.

Chris ran as far as she could. She heard a faint explosion behind her, but she didn't turn her head to see it. She just headed forward, keeping a firm grip on her nephew, who sobbed in her arms. She stopped only when she could no longer feel her legs moving and hid behind a tall fence. In the background, a house was fuming. That scoundrel must have put some explosive before he barged in so he could be sure he killed everyone. Shaking, she put Roy down and hugged him. There was no way her brother and sister-in-law survived. She repeated over and over in his small ear, tears wetting their clothes. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...!"

It all happened too fast...

XXXXX

Roy stared at Edward, words not leaving his mouth. He froze on his spot. Anger filled his senses and he could swear his legs were some pounds heavier. Should he tell the blond that he didn't want to get him killed by a madman who swore to annihilate everything connected to his mother, which meant also to him? He looked down and sighed, remembering the moment which ruined his family. It didn't help.

"Edward..." he mumbled. He felt his head ache viciously, like he had to cry and couldn't. It hurt. Hurt him deeply, as he didn't want to lose the little he had left. Damn, it took him so long to realise his attraction to him and now he wanted to jump in the lion's mouth? He knew he was losing it, and didn't know how he got in the situation.

He was quite happy in his sad little depression that he didn't need anyone to pull him out of it. Or at least not in such a hurry.

Ed continued to look in Roy's eyes. They were depthless and dead. He always thought they should be focused and determined, but in fact they never showed anything. No hope. No happiness. Not sadness. No nothing. Now, they were the same as always.

Hollow.

Maybe last night didn't change too much. The Flame looked after all his subordinates, why would he be special? Perhaps, he bedded some of them too... yeah, he wasn't any better than the others. But why did it feel so... so... nice?

Finally seeing the sickish green tarnish on the other's face, Ed crooked his head. "Wow, Mustang, get a grip of yourself! How old are you? Five?" he half-teased, half-mocked and lightly punched his elbow. At that, Roy covered his mouth and covered both his mouth and nose. He felt his stomach clutch and his insides swirl. The pain was still there, in his cold heart, even after twenty-five years from the sordid crime. He needed the reminder. He had to be like that. No way would he have succeeded into doing so much with his life if he hadn't been a bundle of nerves, cool yet ready to burst.

"Hey, are you okay? Roy?" Ed looked at the retreating man. The General stood up and crossed his arms around his waist and twisted them like he wanted to break the small bones and tendons that kept the muscles together. He had to calm down. It was unpardonable to react like that.

And in front of the little child he once gave the hope of walking again on his own two feet. The child that grew to become one of the greatest alchemist of their times.

His little flower he didn't know that could bloom in such a short time. But what where flowers but things that were one moment, just like that, the kings of the garden, and then, the frail reminders of a death that came too soon. Rotten.

Roy suddenly remembered why he hated feeling anything romantic.

Fullmetal moved behind his superior. 'What's gotten into him? Is he having a panic attack?' That wasn't like him, that's for sure. Edward only knew the overly-confident attitude, not the delicate minded and slightly disturbed one. He didn't ask any more questions and grabbed the taller man's wrists to prevent them from snapping due to the awkward position they took around the slim abdomen.

"Leave and forget what you found out so far..."

"No"

Roy turned around and faced burning golden eyes. Not that look again...

"Edward, please. I don't want to lose you too. I'm sorry" he broke off the tight seal around his hands and took some distance. What did he have to say to make the alchemist to leave him alone?! He fought to return to his normal self. When he felt confident enough, he pleaded and ordered in the same time "Do not interfere, Fullmetal. I've realised something last night and... I don't want to have it taken away. You are important to me... you've always been, I guess. I'm sorry... Let's leave it as an accident and follow our own paths. The tension got the better of us, heh? It sure fucks with minds"

Edward gasped. It felt so good to hear the first part that he completely ignored the 'accident' reference, no matter how much it hurt. Being important to someone... Funny, they had to insult and then fuck each other senseless to realise their feelings. It wasn't that bad after all. He laughed "Tension? With that half-assed excuse you twisted all the girls' heads? I didn't know women around here are so easy to convince, I'd have tried it myself!"

Roy didn't argue, no matter how much he wanted to. No, he never blamed it on tension. Because it was normal for him to fool around with someone he will more likely never see again. However, the rules changed. He was losing at his own game against a mere pawn. He knew Edward was a lot more than any of those whores, but it wasn't the moment to accept him as something else. The obvious results of his slip (or, as he called it, tension) had to be erased before things got too far between them. He had a reputation to maintain.

The older Elric didn't mind their escapade. It made him really feel some connection to his superior. The way he didn't let go of him, nearly asphyxiated him with kisses like he wanted to make sure it was for real, the sweet sensation he gave him by treating him like the most important person in the whole universe... It was wrong and right. Bah, he must've done it with everyone! Or...

Now that he thought of it, the previous night didn't work out that well. He didn't find out much, and he was even more confused.

"You really are stubborn. You know I can help! No hell is horrible enough for me, you can count on it!" he cracked the bell. He wanted to test the waters. Maybe they were meant for each other. Edward knew how lonely they both were. Was he really prepared for such thing, and with a man? He no longer had Alphonse; his brother was in the middle of founding his own family.

'Argh, I'm getting so sentimental! Though it seems I'm not the only one who cracked' he thought as he examined Roy's confused eyes for the millionth time, eyes he never imagined to be so shallow and also so deep, so lifeless and alive.

"Not this time, no. Let's forget and see each other only for and at work" Ed twitched in annoyance. "Man, and they say I'm a kid..." he rose on his toes and kissed the raven men to silence him. "Shut up, idiot. It was not an accident, I didn't say no, okay? Well, I said no, and then you – never mind... still not sorry, okay? Get it?" With a small smile, he purred in the other's ears "Roy, let me help you, just as you helped me"

He had to make some fire to get burnt. Till then, there was nothing to lose. To make sure it didn't sound awkward, he added loudly "Come on, you make me sound girly, dammit! Let me, at least for the effort of gambling and losing lamentably at extracting any information from you? How does that sound to you?"

Roy could only smile at that.

XXXXX

He lit up a cigarette and put it between his lips. He savoured the exquisite taste the stick gave him and then blew the smoke in the cool late autumn air. The winter was setting faster than expected. 'It will snow soon... It'll be so beautiful' he thought as he walked on a remote back alley of the huge Central City. What a lame name for a town. All the strategic cities in Amestris had simple names, describing the Cartesian point they were situated. It looked good on the report, that's what they told him when he enrolled.

Telford Mustang enjoyed the loneliness. He lived for one purpose he was no longer sure it was reasonable, but his father told him he should stay true to his cause. A woman smiled to him as he passed by her. He looked back at her with cold eyes and let a part of his large scar hidden behind his blonde bang to be lit by a shy sunbeam. She immediately backed off and continued hanging the laundry. He didn't stop his march. Like he knew how to pace differently but with those decadent military steps.

It was rather interesting and not at all hard to follow what happened to his dear nephew Roy Mustang, really. He was the first in the family to work so openly for the military. For its good. He killed like his parents did, though not remorseless. He did it in a cursed war and struggled to avoid doing it again. Might be a weakness or it might be...

He halted his train of thoughts and hid behind a bin as a backdoor opened.

"Fine, if that's what you want. But count me on, okay, Roy? It'd suck to be left out" a blonde male spoke as he descended the few doorsteps.

"Alright. But don't ruin everything just because you feel like it. Will you do this, Edward?" a deep voice from inside demanded velvet-like.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, bastard. See ya later!" the blond said and let go off the hand he held in a personal way, like sealing a promise. Roy followed with the vision his new-found lover (or at least that's how he saw him after the way too long conversation they had after his cool cracked) as he turned abruptly before entering the main street.

"Hey, Mustang" the blond yelled. "D'ya know you're late? That secretary of yours will kill you!"

"How you'd like to see it, Fullmetal... not gonna happen!" he replied chuckling. Neah, he was not afraid by the red haired Lieutenant, Hawkeye was the biggest issue from work. But she was ill, at home. Searching for a lead on his marvellous uncle.

Telford watched the door closing behind his long lost sibling. Luck was on his side, apparently. 'My, my, so that's the kid you recruited? What's your relationship to him, that you hold hands with him and you allow him to call your name? This will be so much fun'

However, he couldn't fold his plan just yet. He wanted it to be humiliating for the alchemist. He wanted to make him suffer the same sufferance he felt so long ago. Maybe worse.

But, to be frank, for what?

XXXXX

It was the first time in such a long period when Roy felt this good at work. The world was so beautiful and life was so nice to live... Scratch that, it was the first he ever felt good at work. 'Bah, I'm acting too cheesy!' he scolded.

The red haired replacement gave him awkward looks. He struggled to maintain his dignified aura and failed with such grace! Someone cared for him as a person, not as a high ranked officer... that felt so comfortable... and warm.

Wait! What if Edward just did that for getting under skin? True, he was a bit too desperate to get into his pants... No... he just wanted to find about his secret mission? Well, he didn't find much, as the only information Roy let him know was that a spy attacked the National File Library and managed to snatch some documents and that the head of the operation was an old threat to his family, and he said it all just to make the insistent alchemist shut up. The boy could be so loud sometimes. But still – what if he did it just for curiosity's sake? If that was so, it totally sucked. The simple thought of that determined the Flame to return to his usual gloomy demeanour. 'What if that's so? He said he wanted to help, but... argh, idiot, you've known him for almost half of his life! He wouldn't do such a low thing' he decided. Fullmetal was his shining knight, or at least in his mind it sounded plausible. No need to find the 'if's, he went through them in the morning. He should just go with the flow. It was better like that.

He got so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the phone ringing. The phone, which was placed on the edge of the desk, fell on the floor, along with some papers that got caught in the telephonic cable. Roy woke from his daze and reached for the speaker. "Yes?" he mumbled as he held his finger in his mouth. He caught it in the phone's cradle.

"Hello, Roy. How are you, Roy-Roy?" a stifled voice spoke.

"Oh, Elizabeth, how are you? Did the little bunny get a cold?" he turned on 'flirting mode'. Damn that finger, it hurt!

Riza snored at the comment. Little bunny her ass. She was an untamed beast, after all, she was the only reason why Roy finished his reports in time. "Ha, ha, kind of. I just wanted to hear you... I thought your voice would help me get better"

"Of course. If you weren't sick, I could take you out"

"Other time, sweetie. I miss you so much, it hurts. I hope you're not lonely"

"I always am when you're not around" Mustang nearly burst into laughter at the blatant lie. He was lonely in general, not only when she wasn't around. To think of it, he should take Edward somewhere... to make sure he won't get to feel lonely. Would he accept?

'Roy, no sappy thoughts. You're no teenager' he repeated in his mind. Who'd think he'd such a romantic? Over a man he had never imagined he would get. Not in his wildest dreams.

"You know, the weather is so lovely it'd be a shame to waste it and not go out with someone. But I'm not sure if you can find someone so fast, before I get better" Roy widened his eyes at the statement. It could not be...

"Don't be like that, beautiful angel. You are irreplaceable"

"Aw, you're so sweet!" she giggled, forcing back her coughs.

"Well, Elizabeth, I'm so glad I heard your voice. Get better soon" he rushed his subordinate. They exchanged some small talk and then they hung up.

So nice of Hawkeye, to see if Roy was doing his work and checking if he was still alive. Then he remembered he had work to do.

"Dammit!" he slammed his fists on the desk. A few paperclips bounced on the fresh pile of paperwork. There were so many papers he could built the Briggs Mountains from scratch with them.

'So he went into hiding again? What are you waiting for, Uncle?' Better make sure Fullmetal was going to stay out of it. He didn't want to destroy again half of the city in some useless fight, as they proudly did twice or thrice.

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. I hope it made sense, I didn't write it at once, but on parts... and my mood was very different from a day from another... but still! It can't be that bad, huh?

As far as I've seen, the last chapter got mixed reviews. I'm sorry for the rush, but it came natural to me to write it like that. I will try to make the rest be more plausible. At least you enjoyed the little action and I promise there will be more! Stick a little longer...

Thank you all for putting up with me and thanks for all the support. As always, leave me a review, favourite or follow this story. Lots of kisses to everyone!


	7. 7 - Care for some tea?

A/N: Mornin' here! How are you all?

New chapter here and I don't know what to say about it. It's more like a filler, I'm not sure if there's any plot development... maybe there is? I hope it will match your expectancies (or most of them). The next chapter will definitely have some real action, this time I was like 'Meh... everyone needs a break' :D I'm glad you liked Roy's backstory!

As per warnings, swears, Edward questioning Roy's sanity a bit too many times, some graphic stuff and... well, the ending... that's all you get for now:/ Oh, and I don't own FmA, I almost forgot.

So, please enjoy and leave me a review/favourite/follow. On with the story!

* * *

Chapter 7 – Care for some tea?

Edward returned to his room at the hotel. The receptionist said something to him, but he didn't pay too much attention. His back hurt like hell from last night, that bastard definitely didn't hold back. The temperature in his cheeks rose slightly at the memory and his back jolted in pleasurable pain. 'Fuck... am I mad in the head?' No, he wasn't. He knew the only honest thing about him was his body. The rest could lie to itself.

He looked around the room. It was plain and had zero personality. Blank walls, blue curtains, modest oak furniture and that's pretty much it. The queen sized bed stood beside a tall window, totally impractically put diagonally. One had to jump over it to reach the bathroom. It was quite a mystery how it got there, almost in the middle of the room when it was supposed to be against the wall, but it didn't matter that much. Ed was too tired to move it, so he simply plopped on the soft sheets. The bed creaked under his weight. He rolled on the mattress, nearly falling off. He closed his eyes to welcome some short rest before –

"Shit! I promised Al to call!" he stretched to the nightstand and grabbed the phone. He dialled a number he knew by heart. A worried voice answered.

"Brother! Are you alright?"

"Mhm, I'm fine, Al. I didn't find any time to call you last night. Sorry, I was extremely busy" he assured his brother. Ed blinked a few times. 'I was busy last night?! The hell did I say? Damn it, Mustang, it's your fault!' he cursed mentally.

"Okay, okay, you got me worried, but if you say you're fine... How you've been?"

"Fine" the elder felt his blood boil. 'Not fine. Not fine. Shut up, Edward, don't say anything'

Noticing the long pause in his sibling's speech, Al asked "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, so far, so well. I was just reading a report on a mission Ro-Mustang gave me" 'Did I just almost call him on his given name? Stupid mouth!' He was that tired he didn't find the energy to lie properly and the small pain in his lower half truly didn't help.

"He over-uses you again? You shouldn't accept that many missions, really! Tell him, or I'll have a word with the General! I mean, you don't even have the time to go out with someone, you're all day with him at work!"

"Neah, it's nothing. Whatever, how's Winry and Granny?" Ed changed the subject. Maybe he didn't want to go out with someone... else...

"They're good. By the way, Win said she will have your head if don't come for the holidays! You never spend them with us" Al argued. Well, it was true Ed hated the Winter Holidays and everyone knew it and he made sure to never celebrate them. Now, that Alphonse had his body back, it'd be nice to come and stay with him for a few days.

"Okay, okay, but they're in a few months, anyway"

"Brother!"

"Fine! I'll come! Sheesh, I'm doing this for you!" Ed gave up. Eating gingerbread and drinking coffee with marshmallows... So much fun...

Only because the year was coming to an end, why did they have to celebrate anything? It was useless to celebrate for almost a month, in his humble opinion.

"See? You're already getting in the spirit! The holidays are about staying with your loved ones and welcome the next year's spring. Good for you, brother!"

"Sappy, if you ask me. Al, if you don't mind, I'll hang up. I have to go get ready for today, 'cause Hawkeye's sick and the bastard will most likely slack off work. Talk to you soon, 'key?" No way he'd go to work! He didn't want to see that idiot face he so gently touched and... 'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!' he scolded at himself.

"Yeah, sure. Don't forget to call, this time!" Al averted, not sensing the conflict in Ed's voice.

"That's a promise. Kiss everyone for me. Bye!"

"Bye" Al put the receptor down and looked at the clock. 'It's nearly eleven... doesn't he start work at eight? Maybe he only goes to help, and he's gotten the day off...'

It was the first time he second guessed Ed's lack of cooperation during a phone talk. He sounded, well... he didn't sound like he usually did. His voice was more levelled and he didn't argue too much about this winter plans. Maybe he finally grew up.

Maybe not.

Small chances.

XXXXX

The annoying replacement glared at the General. He just came in and he was already flirting on phone. Of course, she didn't know anything about his mission and that he, in fact, was speaking to a still very sick Hawkeye who wanted to make sure he was in one piece. She wasn't that trustworthy, anyway. How she wanted to say something about Roy getting extremely late at work, damn! It was around eleven in the morning and he was supposed to get there earlier than eight AM. However, it wouldn't do to comment on his tardiness. That was the advantage of being the boss – he didn't need to justify anything to anybody.

The bad part about being the boss came soon, as he glared at the desk which was occupied by an overflowing pile of freshly baked paperwork, his favourite. This was getting so cliché... 'I miss Hawkeye already... I never find this much work on the table when she's here... not in the morning' He sighed deeply and opened his 'lucky' pen, the one he received from Hughes at his graduation (the man sadistically wished Roy to sign as many papers with it. Such vile words...) and had Olivier Armstrong's teeth carved in the metal. It was a long story how the instrument got those marks. It's pretty impressive to think that the overly stoic Major General could do such idiotic things... Roy curved his lips at the memory. How he needed to remind his old friend and foe (it was hard to determine which) about the misfortunate event. She will more likely make him chew his own limbs. 'Neah, it'll be worse' he chuckled. It was not the time to do such thing, though.

Fuery gave him a few odd looks. He had to admit, it was interesting to see the always smirking General actually smiling sincerely. It was a smile, he was sure of it. It didn't have its usual rudeness, it was somehow... pure. The petite soldier stood up and walked to his commanding officer's desk. "Sir, Jacqueline called when you weren't here. She said she misses you"

Roy looked at him with dreamy eyes. "Yes, thank you. I'll talk to her"

"Very well then, Sir" Fuery nodded and turned back to his seat. Mustang shook his head lightly. He remembered he had things to do. He telephoned Havoc and played his usual role, the charming womanizer. He didn't put too much thinking into Jean's voice which was clearly not feminine (he tried to fake it, but he quite failed at it). Roy always wondered why he chose to codify his knowledge and conversation into an almost whoring language, but it came so natural that he didn't even need to blink to put it into practice. Anyway, he talked to Havoc and set a date with a woman for that night. When he ended the conversation, Roy patted his pockets to see how much cash he had at him. It was enough to make the date pretty plausible.

He needed to buy some flowers, now that he thought of it.

XXXXX

Around six in the afternoon, Roy left his office. He didn't bother to go home; he simply straightened his immaculate white shirt, opened a button to make himself look more casual and changed his trench uniform with a pair of black dress pants he kept in the closet just in case. He ruffled his hair and put on some shiny black shoes. On his way out, he wrapped his neck with a blue scarf and hid most of it under a black overcoat. He stopped to glance in the mirror he insisted to put on one of the walls near the door and double-checked his appearance. He looked attractive and very much civilian.

Perfect.

The alchemist was supposed to meet with his date at eight. He took his personal car and drove to a flower shop. He bought some huge white begonias, a tall yellow hyacinth and a purple and white iris, all surrounded by a few juniper twigs. The combination was surprising to those who didn't know the language of the flowers, but Roy knew their signification too well. Every flower he offered, it held a secret message.

He took the nicely wrapped bouquet and paid the flower lady, who smiled at him. She was around forty-five years old, with small hands and huge eyes. Despite her age, she still reminded of the past greatest beauties, a gentle child in a cruel world. She looked so innocent and kind... so few knew that she was part of the families that served the Mustangs for generations (pretty much as in the Armstrongs' case). She had the ability to extract the truth out of the man (didn't care about the method, peaceful or not) and she knew how to keep a secret or hide the truth behind veridical lies. And she was great at procuring flowers that didn't bloom in the season she was selling them.

Mustang smiled back and wished her a pleasant evening. He walked to his car and, as promised, he picked up his date from home at eight. He drove to a nice restaurant downtown.

The woman had a fresh appearance, with green eyes and long brown hair. She looked stunning in her skinny black dress which cupped perfectly her generous forms. She played with the flowers she was offered "Roy, you are such a romantic... I love these, they're so beautiful..."

"My dearest Emma, they are nice, but you are nothing like them. You are more beautiful than any flower, more delicate and refined than any of their fragrances, but you will never witter as they do. Every day, you bloom more and more, when they can only die" Roy spoke lowly, in an intimate tone.

As expected, the woman caught the bait. All the cheap flattery hit the right sensible cords. She blushed lightly. 'I'm so good at it, it's getting boring to make them fall backwards' he thought smugly. All he needed was to tailor his bullshit on the other person's wants and he got mindless idiots who fell in love with him in less than ten minutes. He continued to flirt and insinuate passion where there was none. He didn't even feel attracted to her; she was just another one in an ocean of other ones.

The dinner was pleasant. Roy drove Emma back to her place and went upstairs with her. "Oh, Roy" she mumbled as he closed the door behind her. After a few meaningful looks, he let go of her waist and entered in the living room like he owned the very air around him. "Sorry, Emma, but we have to get down to business right now" She nodded and gave him a small package.

"Of course not, dear. Take care of this, Jacqueline had a lot of trouble procuring the material and processing it"

"Send her all my appreciation"

"But of course" she said as she removed her brown wig to reveal bright blond wavy hair. The green lentils were also moved away. She blinked her light blue eyes a few times and then laughed. Roy smirked and kissed her on the right cheek. "Make sure your brother gets my message" She simply nodded and let go of his hand.

They headed for the back door. Before stepping out, Roy said "Thank you for everything and, also, congratulation on your engagement, Marie! See you and Jean soon" She chuckled and waved her hand goodbye before locking the entrance.

XXXXX

"Sir?" the replacement asked, drumming her fingers on the doorframe. Roy sighed and lifted his eyes to see what she wanted. His head and eyes hurt as he didn't get any sleep the previous night. He had been too busy to test the package he received from Havoc's sister, Marie. "Yes, Lieutenant...?" he made. 'What does she want this time? Bloody thing, I don't even know her name! I think it's Miranda or something. Yes, definitely Miranda. Or Martha. Whatever' He looked on a report on which she signed. It clearly wrote Amanda Montrello. Same thing.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist is here, General" she said and let the younger man in. She made sure to dangle her dubiously round ass at her temporary boss. Roy smiled politely at her and cursed all the heavens for Hawkeye's cold.

"What do you want, Fullmetal?" the older alchemist demanded casually. Breda and Falman already took a fleeing position, as they both knew that when their commanding officer started his speech like that, Edward would explode and none of them knew what would happen.

"I doubt there's written anywhere I can't come to work, though mind you, you're the last person I wanted to see today. Do I have anything to do or I came here for nothing?" he replied a lot calmer than he was supposed under those circumstances. Roy looked at the tray on which were written the man's name and rank and pulled out a dossier. The latter took it and read it thoroughly. He tore a page and returned the dossier. He saluted his colleagues and left the room silently.

The small crew working from the couch gasped a few times. Even Amanda stood still. Roy noticed their reaction, but he preferred to ignore it completely. He was holding back a loud laughter, for Edward's forced pacing was hilarious. No matter how much the blond struggled, he still walked funny. He shifted his hips a little too much. The older alchemist was almost proud he was the main (and sole, actually) cause for the distress the other felt in the lower body. He must have been a little too harsh, that the discomfort didn't go away after two days from the unexpected night they had.

XXXXX

Some long hours passed since the last time Roy saw Amanda. He took a short break from the uninteresting job he was doing.

"Sir, I've got the requested papers from Lieutenant General Sherman about the Eastern situation" the red head's high pitched voice announced from the door. 'Damn, woman, give me a break! Why am I the only one who ever works in here?! Wait, I gave Edward a simple task. What takes him so long?!'

Not before long, Edward bounced on the hallway. He was headed for Roy's office to give his report. It was the most boring thing he could do, searching through military records for the entire day. He was sore from the lack of movement, but it was worth the effort.

Opportunistic by nature, the older Elric didn't waste his day on lame army jobs. He did his assignment fast and then rummaged for anything he could relate to the Mustangs. Roy did great with explaining him about his family. His description was flawless and very accurate - "My mother and father died when I was little, I don't remember a thing". It truly helped.

But Ed was not a stupid person. Not by any means. He once heard that Roy's parents were murdered, and now he said it like what happened came naturally. If it was natural, it meant they were expecting it. No matter how much of a mess the country was before the Promised Day, until then, it's been quite peaceful. So why were they expecting it? The few theories were all concentrating around the sudden death of the older Mustangs... Mustangs... 'That's it!'

After the discovery, he spent most of the time he had in the secret files room to rummage through documents about a family which wasn't even declared existent. Sometimes, they were there, sometimes they just vanished. It was like Roy was born out of nowhere. But there was Madame Christmas, a certain sibling. So it had to be related to her, too.

On his way to the office, Ed reconsidered all his leads. It was interesting and fishy that he didn't find anything compromising. Maybe that was the most eerie aspect of the equation. He stopped and opened the heavy door in front of him. Roy was at his desk, completely alone. Edward wasn't paid any attention, so he simply threw his report on the coffee table in front of the couch. Without lifting his head, Mustang asked "What took you so long, Fullmetal?"

Pam pam... Was it that obvious?! "The files room is quite a mess, it's hard to search for anything in there" Ed lied.

"Really? I always go there and immediately find what I need" the General tilted his head and smirked.

"Whatever, I'm outta here" The blond pushed the door open. Roy couldn't move his eyes from the slim silhouette; it was almost intoxicating to look at it. Like feeling those burning glances, Ed turned his head. "What are you staring at, old man?" On his face, there was a large grin.

"You" was the reply. Rising a brow, the younger alchemist said a bit unsure "You know... I'm kinda hungry... aren't you too?" It was worth the try, yes? The Flame repressed a rude chuckle "Why? Are you afraid for my health?"

"As if! I don-" A loud growl came from Roy's stomach. The alchemists burst into laughter. "Yeah, I guess I'm hungry. But I don't think the cafeteria is still open at this hour"

"It's not that la-yes, it is too late" Ed opened his silver pocket watch to read the hour. He no longer was afraid to look at it, the reminder carved in the inside of the carcass wasn't a painful memory anymore. His family was back to normal, his brother was in his original body and his mother reencountered their father in dead. Morbid as it sounded, he knew it was for the best.

"I've got an idea. Are you up to some dinner in the town?" Mustang offered.

"Why would I come with you in some shadowy place?! Are you out of your mind?"

"A little. I know a great place, quiet and cosy. They have good food and lots of nice faces around there" Roy nodded to make his point.

"You truly are gone. Whatever, if you pay, I don't mind it" Edward crossed his arms. 'It'll be interesting, going out with him... we used to do it quite often before... well, just before"

"It's a plan, then. Give me a moment; I have to gather my things. See you in five?" The Elric waved a hand in agreement and rushed out of the office. Roy drummed his fingers on the desk and stood up. He put his pens in their case. He grabbed his coat and closed the light behind him before leaving the office.

It was quite an experience to have an early dinner (or late lunch, as it was a little after six and Roy rarely ate anything before ten in the afternoon, as he didn't have the necessary time to do so) with Edward. Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't as awkward as the blond imagined it would be after their 'escapade'. They acted like old friends (maybe a bit more, considering that Ed blushed like hell whenever Roy made an inappropriate joke or simply touched him by accident). It wasn't the first time the two alchemists took the meal together, but definitely not under the given facts – the General struggled to hold his laughter as he saw the other fidgeting in his seat and the other prayed to resist the urge to punch him in the face. It was almost hilarious, as the Flame suggested to eat at his Aunt's club, very stylish and comfy, but full of people Roy knew nearly too well. Especially his dear foster mother, who didn't waste a second to tease the teen or place an interpretable remark. Ed had the feeling the two Mustangs were complotting over something he really didn't want to hear about.

When they arrived at the club, a pretty girl saluted Roy with huge dormitory eyes. Instinctively, Fullmetal hid his face behind the bangs when the woman smiled at him. She teased "Hello, General, a new one? So little and cute" She made sure to emphasize the 'general', as everyone knew how proud the man was about his rank. Ed just wanted to jump at her throat and snap it a bit for being called 'small', but his superior smirked at him and replied defiantly "My, my, don't give me away, ha, ha!" He then turned his eyes to the rest of the people in the pub. He dragged Ed after him and stopped to talk with some other women, very beautiful as well. After some chit-chat, he asked with a charming smile "Ladies, have you seen Madame Christmas?" They giggled and showed the way for him and his partner.

The two sort-of-lovers took a seat at a private table, hidden behind a classy paper screen. A pale light danced on the plum coloured walls. "So... why did you bring me here?" Ed found the courage to ask. It was dubious to be taken out after what they did two nights ago... it was so not like Roy, because he knew the older man wasn't the kind to go out again with someone whom he slept with. Not to mention he didn't quite understand why he was taken to his Aunt's club.

"No reason. Just some nice dinner. The cuisine is great here, by the way"

"Say something else and that'd be the death of you, Roy-boy" a deep feminine voice spoke. A tall plump silhouette came next to the table. The woman winked at Roy, who grinned at some unknown inside joke.

"I wouldn't dare, Madame, but about my death – you should get in line"

"Boy, don't scare an old woman like me with these things. Oh, hello to you too, Edward. How are you, my dear? Hope you're good" Madame Christmas smiled at Ed, who nodded his head sheepishly. Okay, he knew who she was (vaguely), but how the hell did she recognised someone she most likely never saw, especially in that dim light? The woman continued to smile and asked what they wanted to order. "Surprise us, Aunt, if you say you have such good services" Blowing some floral scented smoke, Chris retorted "You're lucky I'm fond of you, else you would've flown through the window by now, son"

"Lucky me" Roy protruded his lips. The older woman snorted and cast a conspicuous look at the blond alchemist. "You two be nice till I came back" she said and left.

"What the...?" Ed mumbled. Roy seated his head on his cupped palms and looked into the confused golden orbs in front of him. "My most wonderful Aunt, Chris Mustang, widely known as Madame Christmas"

"I know who she is, but how the hell does she know me?" Elric furrowed his brows. Curving his lips mockingly, the other said dreamily "I see..."

"Damn, you Mustangs are screwed in the head. It must go into the family. Can you for once not find a double meaning for everything?" he scolded.

"No. Anyway, everyone knows you. But, of course, she also has her ways, my dear Aunt"

"Bah, I don't know why I'm talking to you"

"For food?"

"Most likely"

XXXXX

The food was delicious; Ed had to give Madame Christmas that. Her club wasn't famous for nothing, after all. Like a good host, the woman came to his most loyal client's table when they finished eating and asked "How did you find the cuisine, sweeties?"

"Great, as always" Roy answered without taking his eyes off the other alchemist. Chris chuckled "Never lose your touch, do you, General?" The black haired man jeered. "As you taught me, Madame" he winked.

"Very well I did, so don't let me down"

"But of course"

"My, my, that's gonna be feisty"

"Can't have it other way, ha ha"

"That's my boy"

Edward stared at the two siblings who were talking nonsense and wondered what on earth they were talking about. It was complete mystery to him and it was most certainly not about how great the cook was. He heard Roy and Chris were very close, but to talk like that to each other? It sounded so... intimate, somehow. The continued to mumble double edged words, not minding the teen's confusion. It appears that's from whom Roy learnt how to play with one's mind.

"Alright, boys, I'll let you be, for now. Be nice, Roy, yes?" The older man smiled and tilted his head respectfully. He raised his glass of wine and toasted with his partner for the eighth time that night.

XXXXX

Marie Havoc took a sip from her coffee. Great coffee, she thought while reading a long letter she received from her fiancé, Harold Abrams, a well-known doctor specialised in general surgery who was currently attending to a seminary in Xing. The state financed many of his revolutionary projects and he was allowed to participate to different conferences all around the globe. Regardless his young age, he was considered one of the best surgeons of Amestris.

Ling Yao, the future emperor of Xing, was kind enough to pay all the expenses of his short visit. Everything was done with Roy Mustang's help who was the linking bridge between the two nations. The General never forgot the help he received from Jean, Marie's brother, so he supported the Havocs as much as he could. And, of course, making trades of any kinds, even intellectual, with the recently declared allied state was a huge boost for his image. Having a powerful empire's aid, he was proving what a great Fuhrer he'd make when Grumman retired.

Long fingers blocked her vision. She bit the hands and the intruder immediately backed off. "Ouch, Mar! It hurts!"

"Jean, how many time do I have to tell you to stop scaring me like that?! You're so immature, how can you be older than me!" she clamoured. Very bad habit, frightening people with sharp teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, as ya say. How are ya, sis?" Havoc asked brushing off some rebel strands of hair. He took a seat next to her and smiled at the waitress when she came to take his order. The cafe his sister chose was really nice and it was even better that he could smoke inside. He glared at the letter "Ah, Karl wrote ya?"

"It's Harold! Is it that hard to remember one name?" she argued. Okay, she understood her brother wasn't too fond of his future brother-in-law, but to purposefully mistake his name?! That was a bit over the edge.

"Whatever, I hope Harry does well at the conference" Marie rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. Jean was asking for it. Badly. "Yes, H-A-R-O-L-D does great at it. Forget it, I didn't call to brag about him and how great he is when you are a total idiot. You're making me look bad in public"

"Now, now, is that so? And I thought I was your brother!"

"So what? In Xing, brother and sisters kill each other in order to attain a better position for their clan!" she gestured widely and shifted dangerously in the chair.

"Oh, shut it! I know how those people are! I've protected one for some time!"

"Yeah, and that almost got you killed! You're useless!" The waitress came with an espresso and placed an ashtray on the table. None of the siblings noticed her and she'd have got her hair burnt by Jean's cigarette if she hadn't backed off in time. She narrowed her eyes and left them be.

"Like you are one to talk?! By whose help he got there?"

"His own! You should shut up, it's not my fault you can't keep a girlfriend!" she folded her arms.

"I didn't find the right one! At least, I did something for this country; I'm not some bitch who licked everyone's boots to get her job!"

"Bullshit, I'm a great pharmacologist, and you fucking ran away from the front when you had the chance!"

"I had to, I was fucking paralysed! Like you'd know how it is!"

The Havocs continued arguing vehemently. They forgot their surroundings and almost punched each other in the face. They jumped out of their seats when some mysterious hands touched their shoulders. With widened eyes, they watched the said intruder take a seat at their table.

"Jean, Marie, glad to see you getting along" Riza Hawkeye spoke in a low voice. "You're not attracting any attention at all"

"For God's sake, Hawk, you scared me!" the former Lieutenant mumbled with a half burnt cigarette in his mouth. "So glad you made it! How are you, Riza? Feeling better?" Marie asked panting lightly from the shock.

"I have to feel better or Roy will die drowned in reports before I kill him for not doing his job" she replied casually. The Havocs smiled sheepishly and laid back on their chair's backrests. It wasn't the best moment to start a fight with the blond officer.

"We're happy you're back in shape"

"Thank you. I'm also happy the fever faded, I think it will snow soon and it'd be a shame to miss the Winter Holidays because of the flu" she tapped her fingertips on her chin, thoughtfully.

"I can't wait to stay with everyone around the fire and drink mulled wine..." Jean said dreamily, playing with the ash that fell off his cigarette.

"It will be great. Harold already sent me my favourite flowers, white begonias, yellow hyacinths and irises! He never forgets how much I love them. Oh, he even remembered I like them with juniper!"

"He's such a romantic, you wouldn't think he cuts living people" the man added.

"Yeah, it's nice you found him. I wish you all the luck in the world" Riza smiled and caressed Marie's hand to show her support. The other woman returned the gesture of her friend and closed her eyes thankful.

A few hours later, Hawkeye excused herself and left the two acid siblings alone. When she got home, around midnight, she replayed in her head the long conversation she had with the retired soldier and the pharmacologist. No matter how tough she wanted to look, Riza was very attached to her friends and wanted to protect them. After all, they were all risking their lives for the same goal. She made a mental note to check on the General the next day, when she returned to work after the short absence. "I bet the office is a mess, don't you also, Hayate?" she played with the black and white dog which jumped in her opened arms.

Holding her beloved pet in a loving embrace and patting its bicoloured head from time to time, she seated on the couch and opened an overused book. It looked miserably, covers faded and pages yellowed, but it was as useful as ever. The book was called 'The miraculous botanic world' and she received it as a New Year's gift from Roy. He comically wrote on the first page a dedication in his small and curved script: _For the only flower who survived the flames, a charm to bloom again in the cold snow. Roy Mustang_. He drew next to his signature a small red horse holding a rose in its mouth.

She opened the book with precision. 'There you are' She took a notebook and noted the key words from the chitchat she had with Jean and Marie. After compiling the names she heard, Riza scribbled what the flowers Roy bought meant. 'Sneaky as always. I wonder how no one ever noticed how oddly he combines what he offers' Of course, the message wasn't only for her, it was mainly for the ex-soldier who was in charge of strategic supplies, such as weapons, ammunition, maps and whatever they needed to accomplish a mission. Still, she needed to know her commanding officer's situation.

What Roy sent through the bouquet was a little alarming. Half was about River, whom they lost trace of a few days ago. The Iris didn't pose any problems and it was most probably put there to make the floral arrangement be more colourful. It showed 'hope'. The white begonias signified 'worry'. That wasn't good. It meant it wasn't good that the spy dissipated into thin air and it was certain that he'd strike when they weren't expecting it. The worst of all was what the yellow hyacinths transmitted, 'jealousy'. Not the feeling itself was the problem, but the colour. Yellow was Edward's hair colour. It clearly stated that the alchemist found about the operation and he wanted to be a part of it. And that Roy had the situation out of his reach. The juniper was the tree of 'protection'. Ed was also in danger. It wasn't clear what the danger was, if it was just some stupid thing the alchemist accomplished or it had to do with Telford Mustang. The colours of the flowers explained that other things got involved too. Hawkeye could only fear what those things really were.

She needed to talk to Roy.

XXXXX

"No, that's really what happened!" Fullmetal assured his superior. The alcohol made his feet feel heavier than they were and he clanged to Roy's coat in a firm grip to maintain his balance. The two men were laughing at a stupid joke the teen made. The evening went a lot better than both of them expected.

After the talk with Madame Christmas, they started debating about life and death. The discussion got deeper till the moment they drunk a few more glasses than they should have. They left early in the morning, holding hands boldly. Anyway, the streets were empty at that hour, so they could do anything for all they cared.

"Tell me, Ed, would you like to repeat this tomorrow?"

"As if" he smirked and stumbled on Roy's feet. "Easy, don't mess that pretty face of yours" the raven haired officer pulled him up.

"No need to call me that to make me go out with you, stupid"

"So it's a yes?" Mustang hugged the other's slim waist. "How does it look like?" Lost in each other's eyes, the two kissed deeply. Gasping for air, as the embrace was suffocating, Ed whispered huskily "But no alcohol this time. It makes us do idiot things"

"That's a promise. Let's get you home" Roy offered. Seeing the doubtful look on his subordinate's face, he added. "No other meanings, Fullmetal. I'm not that much of a bastard as you see me. Not entirely"

"Well, sometimes it is better to shut up, Roy" Ed let go of the Flame's hands and ran into the night, leaving the other alone. A sincere smile crept on the General's pale features. He forgot about the coldness outside. Inside, he was feeling warm. He stopped regretting he pushed Edward into that sinful act. What, he didn't push him into something he didn't consent, but now he was sure it wasn't a mistake.

He walked alone to his house, too big for a sole person. He returned to his dark solitude and waited for the morning to come and take all his worries away.

XXXXX

"Good morning, Sir. How are you?" Hawkeye asked Mustang when he entered his office at seven forty, earlier than his starting hours. Relived that he no longer needed to see that sorry excuse of a replacement (very nice woman indeed), Roy retorted "What a pleasant surprise to see you back so soon, Lieutenant"

"Figures" Riza shook her head disapprovingly. "Unfortunately, you won't have the time to show me how surprised you really are, Sir, as you have a lot of work to do. However, I noticed you did your job while I was away"

"Well, I survived, it seems. So, what do we have here?"

Hawkeye eyed her commanding officer. He looked somehow... happy. That was the word. He had so many problems on his head, as a murderous psychopath was on his tail, but he still found the energy to feel good. She couldn't help but to wonder what the flowers Marie received truly meant. What if...

Oh no...

XXXXX

"Hey, Lieutenant! You're finally better!" Edward said as he threw Mustang a report. He was sent to gather some information about a scientist that was supposed to have supplied the state with illegally created chimeras. There wasn't much to do and he finished the task in no time.

"Thank you, Edward" Riza nodded and left the room. Roy looked up at the younger alchemist and asked business-like "What's with this poorly made report?"

"That's all you get. I'm not rewriting anything, bastard, and go back to work" Ed defended himself.

"Don't take the Lieutenant's job away. She's the one who has to tell me this, not you" the elder wandered his hand through his coal hair. The blond narrowed his eyes, but his face soon lost its tension. He plopped on the leather couch in the middle of the room. Looking through a random book, he asked "How come there's no one around?"

"They're on official business, nothing important" Roy stated.

A deafening silence fell over the office. Only the pen's scraping sound could be heard from time to time. Ed cleared his throat to break the standstill. "What is it, Fullmetal? Is your throat dry?" Roy teased from behind a document. Blushing lightly, Ed lowered his head, pretending to read. He answered swiftly "No".

"Really?" Silence again. "You know what, Edward? Let's have something to drink at the pub that just opened on Wellington's Street. I heard it is very good"

"Don't you have work to do?" Ed asked hopefully. No success, as Roy was already on his feet and in front of the couch. "It can wait. It's lunch break, after all" he smiled seductively.

"What is wrong with you? You're-ARGH!" the blond growled. He was lifted up by two strong arms. "You forgot what you promised last night? Or did I get you flustered?"

"You're imagining things! No, I didn't forget. But isn't it a little too obvious to go out with me in the middle of the day? And put me down! I'm not a girl to carry around!"

"I never said you were. Going out with you in the middle of the night isn't suspicious at all, indeed. Am I wrong? Please do tell" Well, it made sense, Ed had to admit. He sighed and stopped struggling. He wanted to play that game, no matter how much it hurt to his ego. To be brought down on his knees by the most horrible person he knew. What a joke. The teen made it clear to himself that he wanted that bastard, it could be wrong, it could be right – that's what he desired. His heart knew it for all this time, but his mind needed a breakdown to realise his true feelings.

Roy examined carefully the man in his arms. He put the lithe body on his desk, never breaking the eye contact. He couldn't get enough of that wonderful person he had in front of him. He tried to lie to himself that he still had everything under control, but he was well aware he was losing at his own game. He never thought he could want someone for something beyond physical needs.

They stood like that for some time. The taller man bent slightly to be on the same level with the golden eyes that made his cold heart melt and his still blood boil. The small scratch on his forearm stung a bit. He received it when he argued with Ed about hiding his mission. The blond punched him when he realised he won't get any information about the ghost-like spy, River. Now, he definitely didn't want his Uncle to take away his happiness. He knew that, if he ever discovered about his new-found lover, the teen wouldn't get to live through the next day. He was equally afraid and excited. It was the time he could pay back for the crime which was committed against his parents. He could finally protect what mattered.

Losing his patience, Edward arched his back up in the air and captured Roy's lips in a fierce kiss. The other responded longingly and laid the blond down after throwing some papers off the desk. Screw work, he had something more important at hand. Impatient, the younger alchemist demanded for access, brushing his tongue on the other's clenched teeth. Chuckling, Roy accepted the intrusion and quickly dominated the kiss. They danced together, their hands all over the other. A metallic hand entangled in his shiny black strands and a trembling flesh one cupped his face. Boldly, Mustang pushed himself between his lover's legs and trailed his hand to the other's belt. He played with the pants' buttons till Ed escaped a wanting moan.

His hand went lower, fondling Ed's crotch. The grunts turned into moans. It felt so good, it hurt to be imprisoned in that wretched confine. Roy approached him more, brushing their clothed erections. He put his hand on the back of Fullmetal's head and ravished his mouth even more. The other hand played with those deliciously perked up nipples. Their lips bruised, but neither cared. That's what they both wanted, and their bodies were screaming with lust. How badly they needed that...

Roy shifted them as he opened his trench coat. It fell to the ground along with Edward's top. The General kissed and sucked without any restraints at the little man's neck. "Oh... Roy... not at the offi- AH!" Ed growled when a wet tongue swirled on his automail joints. How damn fine it was... He captured those sinful lips again and took his time with unbuttoning Flame's white shirt. He touched every inch of that well sculptured chest and encircled the scars on the abdomen. Fullmetal didn't know how they all got there, but it didn't matter. They made Roy what he was. He pushed the elder's hands away and opened the fly of his military issued pants. The bulge hidden underneath was even harder, and it demanded for attention. So Ed tugged at the boxers and slipped his hand into -

"OH MY GOD!" a feminine voice shouted. Edward jolted and pushed Roy off of him. The elder held his grip on him and fell backwards, soon followed by the swearing teen. "WHAT THE FUCK?! GODDAMIT!" On his back, sprawled semi-naked on the floor, Mustang smiled sheepishly at Hawkeye, who stood dumb-founded at the door. She opened her mouth and then closed it. Edward tried to move off the man, but their belts entangled and they kept them connected. He blushed and decided he wanted to die there, on the spot. He was so embarrassed. And the damn bastard was laughing!

Like nothing happened, Roy asked in a calm voice "Is there anything I can do for you, Lieutenant?" Ed hit his head hard on the other's chest, but the officer didn't flinch. 'It seems I'll have some explaining to do...' the General thought.

Hawkeye, managing to gather most of her cool, left the papers at the entrance and nodded her head in some sort of salute, not completely trusting her voice. She closed the door behind her. So that's what he really meant by the yellow flower and the juniper...

Mustang lowered his head on the hard tiles of the floor. He ruffled Edward's hair and kissed him on the forehead. The blond shifted his eyes to stare at his with a look that screamed bloody murderer. Roy smirked and lifted them both. He unravelled their tangled belts and put Fullmetal down, who was still fuming. Not losing his grin, the higher ranked officer whispered in his ear "Well, it doesn't mean the invitation is no longer available"

The blood boiling in his face, Edward scolded "Are you out of your fucking mind?! Why do I keep on asking, anyway?! You are!"

"So? Your answer?" The blond alchemist pressed his lips together and looked hard at his superior. His hair was a mess, the shirt was half opened and his pants were crooked on his hips. He couldn't help smirking. "The hell with it, but you're paying!" Ed agreed and lifted his tank top off the hardwood floor.

That was going to be interesting...

* * *

A/N: Don't hate me for leaving the chapter like this... I feel almost evil after stopping the boys' little moment... My bad, sorry.

Whatever. Thank you so much for putting up with me and please leave me a review (I hope it was okay... don't kill me...)/favourite/follow! See you soon with another cartoon (err... that was the wrong line. Damn:/)

Special thanks everyone who reviewed. It really helps to gather my thoughts and do something!:D


	8. 8 - A good day to be born

A/N: Mornin'! I know it's a veeery late update, and I'm so sorry for keeping you wait! I had such a busy time... I have so much to do, so many projects... whatever, I doubt anyone cares about my program... XD.

I hope there aren't too many mistakes in here, as I wrote it in the middle of the night, and that you'll enjoy this chapter even for a bit... it'd be great. Warnings - graphic stuff, some hints of violence, not too much plot development and some interaction between characters. Tell what you think! Reviews are welcomed!

I forgot - it all happens two months after the previous chapter.

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 8 – A good day to be born

Edward Elric woke up in complete darkness, some large thing blocking his view. After some brief examination, he discovered it was a hand. He tried to get rid of the annoying member, but he couldn't move. He attempted to lift his automail arm to brush off the obstacle as far away as possible from his face, but in vain. On top of him (and by that, I mean covering him entirely), a totally wasted Roy Mustang slept peacefully. After lots of struggling, the younger alchemist managed to shove the other man off of him, but the latter had his fingers tangled around his waist. From the warm and comfortable bed, the two landed on the hardwood floor. Ed winced in pain, as the elder was not exactly the lightest person. The teen snorted and shouted in Roy's ear "BASTARD, WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"

Groggily, the higher ranked officer opened his shallow obsidian eyes and blinked a few times. He smiled sheepishly and blew off some of his long black bangs off his morning sickish-pale face. "Mornin', Ed... no need to shout..." he mumbled, the grin on his face never leaving his tired features.

"Bah, get off of me and then I will stop shouting, idiot! OFF, NOW!" the blond yelled.

"Yeah, yeah" Roy rolled off Fullmetal. He stood still for a second and considered his surroundings. He blinked a few times "Err... Ed, why are we on the floor?" he asked surprised. The teen sighed and stood up. He rubbed his forehead and plopped on the soft bed. He ached everywhere and he was only dressed in an oversized shirt. "Man, I swear I'm never going out with you for a drink ever again..." he argued half-heartedly. It sounded like a great idea to try the newest pub in Central. None thought they'll meet with some of Roy's old pals and drown a few too many glasses, playing poker. True, the General made a small fortune at the game, but they still shouldn't have drunk so much. And they drank a lot, considering that Roy was reputed for his alcohol resistance.

In an almost magical way, the two alchemists arrived home sometime in the morning, completely wasted. They stumbled up the stairs in Mustang's house, making out hard and not really realising what was happening. Things led to another and that's pretty much how they got in the all too familiar room, not too far from being stark naked.

The spacious mansion became Edward's residence as well, though he wouldn't admit it for all the money in the world (not like he cared about them, but he still needed them to live a decent life). He always found a reason to spend as much time possible there, to be part of Roy's slowly lighting up life. Not like he didn't have a place to stay, but he felt good in the other's company. It was almost like an annoying addiction. After the more or less disastrous accident no longer than two months before, when the two state alchemists slept together out of impulsivity, they finally considered themselves some sort of dysfunctional couple. No one knew about them besides Madame Christmas (who could sense everything about her adoptive son, so they didn't need to say anything for her to know) and Riza Hawkeye (to whom the General had to explain for an entire day why he was on top of his subordinate, in the office, on a working day). And they wanted to keep it that way.

Still a little dizzy from the hangover, Ed walked to the large window covered in heavy curtains and opened it. Outside, a cold winter wind blew fiercely, waking him up from his condition. He put his mismatched hands on the sill, warmed by the radiator below, and watched calmly the still street in front of his eyes. The sun wasn't shining as brilliantly as it used to and the air smelled like snow. It was the beginning of December and the weather was never missing a moment to show it.

From the carpet, Roy watched his lover intently. A hidden fondness could be read in his eyes, and it was all for the young man in front of him. During the short time they spent together after the night he imprudently jumped on his subordinate, he discovered once again what a delightful person Edward was. It was quite ironic, really, to lose to him. He was never supposed to fall for someone in his path to the top as it was too dangerous and most likely a nuisance, but he couldn't help it. He was going to protect Ed no matter what. And he knew his feelings were returned, despite the fact the short teen referred from showing any affection. Who would have wasted his time with an insomniac and depressive pyromaniac if it wasn't something more involved? And, knowing the great alchemist, he didn't have any ulterior motives. It wasn't like him.

Smirking, Roy stepped feathery behind the daydreaming blond and hugged his slim waist. The latter jumped in surprise, but those abnormally cold, yet so nice to touch long fingers soothed him back to his place. Edward turned his head and looked in the dark pools which fixed his golden ones. He could melt on the spot, no matter how glacial the weather was. He smiled and asked rudely "What do you want, bastard?"

Not paying too much attention to the question, the man continued to look through him at the world outside his warm bedroom. Old memories started to reopen the never fading wounds, carved deep in his whole existence.

It really made Mustang wary. In over two months, he didn't hear anything about his beloved Uncle. It was like the man disappeared into thin air or evaporated somewhere. He knew better than to relax. It was too similar to his parent's death scenario... the calm before the storm... He didn't want the history to repeat itself, that's why he fought to become stronger. To protect the ones he cared about.

Sensing the sorrowful expression on the usually easy-going features of his lover's face, Edward softened "Is everything alright, Roy?" The man in question lowered his eyes. Those depthless orbs returned to their hurtful coldness, that ancestral sadness Ed hoped he'd never see again. Breaking the visual contact, Roy moved his view again to the opened window.

Distantly, he muttered more to himself than anyone else "It is going to snow soon..."

XXXXX

Olivier Mira Armstrong stared at her long katana. Wonderful sword, a true masterpiece passed down the family line for generations. She chuckled at the cliché remark her family was so proud of. 'What a bunch of conceited hardheads...' She stroked the leather scabbard respectfully and put it back next to her. She laid sprawled on her medium sized bed, too small for two persons but too big for one. She didn't occupy lots of space, as she liked sleeping curved up in a ball, but the few arms she slept with took a lot of space. Of course, it was so not strange to sleep with deathly weapons next to you.

No wonder everyone considered her a bit paranoid.

The Major General made sure to never allow any personnel in her bedroom, as her surreal image of a strict and dignified officer would be blown after a single second inside. The room wasn't that small, but the heavy furniture and tons of books scattered all over the place cut a lot of the available space. It was a complete mess, to put it plainly. Everything was everywhere, though one thing was for sure – the way they were thrown around made some sense in her head. In their own twisted logic, the objects were grouped on not very well defined categories. Even her personal desk looked like after a tornado. Pencils, pens, nail polish and some other things were buried in papers. Only her uniform was hanged neatly on a tall closet. At least she showed a little respect to the etiquette.

Like her brother, Olivier loved drawing in her spare time and scotched most of her art on the walls. Next to the drawings, she nailed her family's portrait, on top of every member being written their specific name. Not like she would ever forget their names, but she saw them so rarely... it felt good to see the small letters reading Philip Gargantos, Arabelle, Amue, Strongine, Alex Louis and Catherine Elle. She was between her father and her only brother and held her youngest sister's hand in hers. The cadet of the illustrious family was on Alex's shoulders and she was smiling happily. So was she, under the sparkling vanity everyone held up to the sky... everyone in the photograph was grinning to the camera and it felt so far away. The officer hated admitting, but she loved her parents, her brother and three sisters. She missed everyone... the great Ice Queen wasn't as icy as she wanted to be.

It was still early in the morning and the woman didn't feel like getting out of her warm beddings. Not to mention that the mornings in Briggs sucked. It was cold below freezing, the floor was frozen, the air was chilly... even the coffee was cold! She definitely needed to get a kettle in her room. It was horrible to start the day with that pitiful dark liquid, warm enough to make ice cream with it.

She stretched and yawned abruptly. She was not the morning type; she enjoyed staying up late and waking up at noon. Of course, that was virtually impossible as the commanding officer of the most important fort in Amestris, but come on – a girl had to dream. She rolled her eyes to the mechanical clock on the nightstand. It read four fifty AM. So much for sleeping till noon.

The cushioned door of her cramped bedroom opened slowly and a dark silhouette slipped in silently. A fragrance of freshly brewed coffee soon followed. The commander instinctively grabbed her trusted sword, but let go of it when she distinguished the intruder. "Why are you already awake, Olivier? It's still early" a harsh voice spoke.

"Seems the time you spend in the East made you forget my schedule, Miles. It's never too early in here" she replied with an eerie smile. She kind of forgot how to do it properly.

The half Ishbalan soldier shook his head. "Sure" he chuckled.

"Are you mocking me, Major?" Armstrong rolled on her stomach and narrowed her light blue eyes. She was greeted by crimson red orbs, clearly showing sarcasm. "Never! I wouldn't dare to, not as long as you sleep with a sword next to you and a pistol under your pillow" He pointed to the hidden fire weapon.

"Old habits die hard" she stated proudly. She didn't know why she was so proud. It must be a family trait.

"Of course" Miles agreed, curving his thin lips. He seated next to her and offered a large mug of coffee. "No milk and lots of sugar, as you like it"

"Wasn't it too early for me to wake up?! Oh, and thanks for remembering how I take my coffee"

"How could I possibly forget your morning routine after all these years?! Don't belittle me, dear" the man said bluntly. Olivier snorted and took the deep blue mug. She smelled it like a dog would. "Mm..." she hummed. Damn, that sinful miasma one would die for! Not her, of course, as she wasn't that altruistic (or stupid) of a person to die for another's pleasure, but she could find some idiots who wouldn't refuse her.

After two minutes of watching the Major General inhaling the hot steam, Miles shook her off her trance "It will get cold if you keep sniffing it. It'd be a waste after I carried it around half of the country"

"You're such a joy killer" Olivier narrowed her eyes and took a sip. That divine taste!... Why didn't they have decent coffee up North? Well, it wasn't like they were in the middle of nowhere. 'Genius, that's reason enough' she scolded herself.

"How come you were able to visit our humble fort?" she asked curiously. She made more space on the bed to allow the taciturn man to lay down next her. He placed his head on the spare pillow and answered thoughtfully "I don't what's humble around here, but..."

The woman slapped him playfully on the chest and snorted. "My answer, not flattery"

"Heh, modest as usual, I see. I had some free time and I asked for permission to visit my comrades. Scar is taking care of my job while I'm away, so I'll find everything in order when I come back. The man is a diligent worker, really. Never thought we'd have such a good collaboration" Miles explained as he played with the overflowing strands of long blond hair that tickled his face.

"Aha" she made. After a pause, she commented "Sure, to visit comrades..."

Sensing the double meaning from tens of miles away, he defended himself "That's what I'm doing, right?"

"It sounds so wrong... whatever, you should bring coffee more often. By the way, by whose permission you got the whole month free?"

"That nice Flame of yours reported he needed me in a very urgent matter up here, of course. You see, we're busy men" Armstrong smirked. Sly indeed, this Mustang... he was one of the very few who knew about her darkest and most confidential secrets. Despite the apparent (no, blatant) discrepancies, Roy and Olivier were very good friends and shared their pain and joy to each other. He knew about the highly condemnable relationship the woman had with her adjuvant and he made sure to send Miles in 'very urgent matters at Fort Briggs' as frequently as possible so the two could spend some time together. Roy was managing the 'Ishbalan policy', wasn't he?

"I'll remember to thank him... By the way, my parents have been bothering me to come to Central and spend the holidays with them. Though I don't know if my men will handle things in here" 'Survive at its fittest... I have the best soldiers and I still have doubts?' Olivier thought. Turning her eyes to her dearest, she answered her own question "Yeah, they will"

Miles smiled and kissed her forehead with light amusement.

XXXXX

Roy cracked some eggs and watched them fry in the pan. The oil was bubbling fervently around the perfectly round yolk. So soft and yellow, nearly golden. 'It looks like his hair... Don't be so sappy, stupid' For some unknown reason, he was often finding himself associating things to his younger lover, who was currently fighting with his entangled hair in the bathroom. The fumbling from the previous night messed his long neat locks.

Edward finished his hair and went downstairs, to the kitchen. It smelled wonderfully of bacon and omelette. He sneaked behind the alchemist and jumped on his back. Surprised, the man almost snapped his fingers. No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible for him to forget the habits he gained in war. His reflexes kept him alive. Being able to perform alchemy without a circle truly didn't come in hand at times like this, when he was acting on instinct indoors.

Catching his hands before setting the kitchen on fire, Edward shouted "Hold your horses, Mustang!" Realising who scared him, Roy turned on his heels and caught up the playful teen in his arms. "Horses? Haha, nicely put... what a tease you are, Ed..." He kissed his lips and released him. "Let me finish breakfast. You have orange juice on the table" After a pause, he added "Does your head hurt?"

"Fortunately, no! Seems I got used to hangovers after spending so much time with you" Edward retorted casually.

"Are you making me a drunkard?" Roy questioned as he put the food on the plates and cut a slice of apple pie for each. What a good idea to practice his baking skills last evening! Not that he remembered doing so.

"No, I'm just stating facts. If you consider yourself one..." Fullmetal sat on a chair and began eating. They ate changing from time to time some idle chit-chat. They were too hungry to talk as none had dinner the night before (or didn't recall having). The first to finish was Roy. He snapped his fingers and lit up the gas cooker. He gingerly placed the coffee jug on the smallest ring and left it there to boil. He took his own plates and washed them. The water on his cold hands felt wonderfully warm. It was like...

*RIING*

'Who the hell invented phones?!' Roy cursed and walked to the annoying apparel. "Mustang"

"Long time no hearing, Roy, my love!" a deep yet feminine voice spoke. The raven soldier wanted to burst into laughter, but he had the decency to keep just a light tint of irony in his tone. "Mirabelle, my sweetheart!"

"Sweetie, how are you... missed you so much! Do you know how hard it is for me to be without you?" Olivier lied with ease. Like hell she missed her nemesis.

Miles was still with her and could hear the conversation clearly. He curved his lips and leaned closer to his secret lover in order to better catch the Flame's words.

"You don't know how hard it's for me too! My life is pointless without you... your light is no longer following my footsteps and it's getting lonely... It's so difficult" 'So cheap, so cheap...' he thought holding back his urge to laugh at how the Major General sounded uttering the followings. He knew the repertoire all too well.

"The days are so cold without you... only your warmth can sooth my broken heart. Your dark eyes that used to watch me get up and walk forward, giving me a reason... I want to see them again and make sure you were real and not only my imagination" the female retorted to the blank compliments. It was so much fun talking like that, no wonder why Roy used that technique to communicate with his allies. She could say so much without having to actually pronounce her intentions. And she could fool around for a bit. It was in fact the only reason why she called Mustang that morning. And to announce her uninvited visit.

"How I wish I could see your lovely face, so angelic and pure, to live once again that faraway dream we had too long ago, when I had you in my arms. To touch that milky skin that shakes my entire being and gives me a taste of the sweetest heaven" the General replied sensually. What was the reason that Olivier wanted to come to Central and see him? Maybe she had some information for him or had too much spare time to bother him. Most likely the last.

"I need to see your face again. All I can think of is the fire that drowns my senses in the most sinful sensations, my lovely Roy..." the interlocutor giggled lightly.

Roy wanted to say 'Be welcomed' as he understood from the mentioning of 'fire' that the proud woman thanked him for the diversion he undertook to allow Miles a few weeks off duty, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he replied velvet-like, sounding like a hurt Romeo "I'm afraid it is impossible, my dearest treasure. I wish it was different, but our worlds ar-AGH! OUCH!" Mustang almost fell off the couch on which he comfortably sat. The main body of the phone flew to the other end of the sofa. Bored out of his minds, Edward didn't find anything better to do than biting the exposed neck of his superior who was innocently speaking on the phone.

"Is everything alright, Roy dear?" Armstrong asked worriedly, but the frown on her forehead disappeared when a muffled laughter ringed from the other end of the line. 'You little shit, are you having someone over?'

Roy grunted as he picked up the telephone which fell graciously on the floor. "No, it's nothing. I just stumbled on the table when I was pacing, thinking of you. It is the most unfortunate, but I have to hang up, Mirabelle"

"Aha" she made. 'Stumbled? It means I know the person... hm' Olivier put things together. That short teaser made her blood boil with curiosity. "Of course, see you soon" 'Sooner than you think, I can guarantee' She winked to the Major and nonverbally told him to take care of making the needed papers for taking a vacation. He simply nodded and resumed reading the book he started a few hours before, when he brought the coffee. Consider it done.

"Yes, yes! Goodbye!" Roy nearly shouted in the speaker. He managed to put the receiver back in its cradle before falling to the ground under Fullmetal's weight. "What's wrong with you, Edward?! And stop biting me, dammit!" he blustered. Not that he didn't like it, it was not that – but it tickled! What a bad idea to let Hawkeye tell him his weak points. Very bad idea.

"Nope. Who were you talking to?" Ed whispered huskily in his ear. He climbed on top of the man turned upside down and restrained his hips. Sensing the dangerous glare in the other alchemist's solar orbs, Roy pulled out the oldest strategy. He sing sung the golden words. "Are you jealous, little one? So childish..."

"Bastard, who are you to call me a c-" the blond stopped abruptly and his eye went wide. "You monster! I hate you!" He just lost the bet he placed four weeks before that he won't flame for an entire month whenever his height was brought into discussion and he fell in the lamest trap. He had less than one day to go!

"Tch, what a shame, you could have beaten me! But we both know you don't hate me" Mustang provoked. Maybe he could use the call he received to his advantage... oh, the possibilities! He almost wanted to pat himself on the shoulder for it.

He moved his hand on Edward's back, stopping to cup those strangely round ass cheeks. "Maybe I'll forget how you lost the bet so easily... who knows?" The teen blushed. He hated trading himself for something so stupid, but the other will tease him to no end about how he is 'a brat with potty mouth'. He didn't need to hear that again!

Roy smirked mischievously. He lifted them both from the flooring and put them down back on the couch, this time him being the one to top the bad tempered alchemist. He batted his eyelids a few times in the most luscious manner. He then lowered his head to capture those nice rosy lips in a heated kiss. Ed opened his mouth without any restraints and allowed the elder's skilful tongue inside. He didn't feel like struggling for it. The Flame, on the other hand, wanted to make this worthwhile. He stopped his advances and transformed the kiss into butterfly pecks. Annoyed, Ed pouted "Cut off the shit! Or, oh my, are you getting old?"

Like pushing some invisible buttons in Roy's system, the man attacked his mouth fiercely. He hated being called old, especially so near to his birthday. Fullmetal welcomed his aggressor and battled his tongue along with him in a predictable dance yet so full of surprises. The elder broke the kiss and trailed his mouth lower. He bit on the collar bone, eliciting low grunts from the teen. Roy pinched the perked up nipples and twisted them in his fingertips. "Bah, Must-ARGH-ang, stop it!" Ed mumbled. He muffled his half-opened mouth with his flesh hand and closed his eyes, prey to the sensations.

The higher officer unbuttoned the large shirt Ed wore. Actually, it was part of his military issued uniform which he never dressed. Wait, he didn't remember the teen had one... whatever. It wasn't the hardest task to open some buttons, but Roy preferred to tear open the clothing and reveal the naked forms of his dear subordinate. He examined hungrily all the curves on the lean body and tasted the soft skin on the stomach. He moved his head to lick around the groin, never touching the leaking member pleading for some attention. The blond's back arched up in anticipation, but the black haired man didn't want to give in to his desires yet. "Ed, let me hear you... sing to me" Roy said and took the hand that prevented the moans he wanted to hear so badly.

Edward struggled for a bit, but his eyes shot up wide when something wet prodded at his entrance. A large hand grabbed his aching erection and rubbed it harshly, almost painfully, as a wet muscle smothered his tender flesh. Roy bit his buttocks and chuckled when metallic fingers entangled in his black hair. He pushed his tongue inside the tight hole and thrust as far as he could for a few times. He moved his hand faster and faster, the dick in his hand twitching harder and harder. "Argh, stop that... do it already... it's annoying" Ed demanded. He didn't mean to start asking for it, but it kind of sounded so.

Not listening, Roy kissed the tip of his arousal and licked the head sloppily. He halted his ministration when the hand in his hair pushed down to meet the problem. If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now. Ed was narrowing his eyes at him, impatient for a treat of sorts. Smirking, Roy kissed his younger lover's lips. His black sleeping top was removed aggressively and it landed somewhere in the room. Without any restraints, Fullmetal pushed his superior off of him and threw him his back. He toyed with his waist band and pulled down his boxers. Eyes locked on his, Ed lowered his head between the elder's legs. Mustang raised an eyebrow and waited for his little partner to do something.

Licking his lips, Edward applied the same treatment he got. He didn't pay any attention to the straining hot need and just placed some disinterested pecks here and there. He wanted some begging, he wasn't someone to be played with.

Mustang started trembling with ache. He watched how the alchemist rolled his head between his opened hips, and how he was left with a standing erection to count sheep. He began saying something, but stopped midway. He didn't want to give in. He wanted to make the other go crazy before him. With his toes, he gingerly touched the other's groin. He needed to try everything. Edward moaned and pushed back to feel again the friction. The foot fondled his balls and sometimes touched his rear. A hand reached for his dick and drummed its fingers on the length. Some moans escaped his lips in a melodious symphony.

Profiting on the other's lack of attention, Roy curled Ed in a ball with a leg and pushed his head down to his need with the other. Sighing, the teen scolded "How low can you possibly get, bastard?!" The elder chuckled "You know better than me, you little thing"

Not really in the mood to argue, Ed simply nipped vengefully on Roy's tip. He engulfed the large heat in his mouth, rolling his tongue all over and grazing his teeth on a pulsing vein. Delighted, the General opened the strap that held his lover's hair in a ponytail and wrapped the long strands around his hand. He pushed harder down. Mumbling something (probably cursing), Fullmetal welcomed more inside his mouth and continued to bob his head up and down ferociously fast. His muscles completely relaxed, he deep throated the now lightly-panting officer.

Not one to be selfish, Roy spit in his palm and distanced his surprisingly assertive partner's buttock to push one badly lubricated finger inside. He held his grip firm on the other's head and continued to push his finger inside his lover. Giving in to the pleasure, Ed started moving on his own down the digit. Two more were soon added at once and they were scissored inside him. They ravished his tensed insides and it felt so exquisite... He moaned again and nearly gagged, distracted by the sensation. At that, Mustang removed his fingers. The blond whimpered from the loss and he soon was lifted up and thrown on his back.

Predatorily, Roy slipped between Edward's opened legs and claimed him like a possession. With a smirk, he pushed inside the tight ring of muscles. The teen wanted to shout from the pain, but his mouth was sealed with a breath-taking kiss. Mustang didn't wait for any adjustments and simply started pounding, his speed increasing with every thrust. Harder and harder. Not before long, he hit Ed's prostate and the younger man mewled sinfully. "ARGH, Roy, the-AHH! Faster!" he made, breath cut short. That was the nice part about the teen – he knew when to scream nonsense.

Complying, Roy sped up even more. He clenched his fingers around the forgotten arousal between them and started pumping in match with his movement. Not fully able to contain the feeling, Edward spilled his load all over himself and Roy, who never let go of his lips for more than a few seconds and was bowing over him. He felt so squeezed inside the now clenching body... The absurd speed decreasing as he neared his climax, the officer pushed harder for a few times, till he found his sweet realise with a low grunt. He fell on his lover and closed his mouth over the other's, licking lazily. Ed hugged him and played with his hair. "You're right, I can't hate you... too much, that is" he suspired. Why was having sex so tiring?

Grinning, Roy mocked "Took you some time, slow head" This won him a slap on the ass. He tittered amused and straightened his back, still inside his partner, who winced lightly. He withdrawn a bit and then pushed back in, slowly making himself hard again. "Really, Mustang? Give me a break!" Ed complained.

"That's for calling me old, darling" Edward snorted and took a deep breath, his body responding fast to the stimulation in his lower back. Ah, it was so obscenely good... he took another deep breath, too excited to care he was acting horribly girly. He opened his eyes and said out of the blue "Roy, did you stop the coffee?"

Realisation struck him hard. At that, Roy slipped out of his lover and left the living room in a hurry. He ushered to the kitchen to stop the overflowing beverage. The coffee spilled all over the stove, but in rest, nothing was damaged. At least it smelled good in there. He turned off the gas and looked at the mess on its surface. At that, he started laughing heartedly.

Edward came after him and remained still in the door, staring at the beamish naked man. "Okay, now I'm starting to really doubt your mental health..." he said precociously.

Roy looked back at him, rubbing his head. "I don't know, my medical report stated I'm quite sane"

"Quite... Then why are you laughing?! We'll have a lot to clean now! You're so impractical and erratic! What the hell am I doing with you?! Sheesh!" the blond haggled.

"You'll find it stupid, but I just remembered something... You know, my father always boiled-over the coffee and my mother scolded him every single time, just like you do now. Only that she had a pan in her hand and was cursing in three or four languages at once, threatening that she'll kill him if he didn't stop laughing, but it's almost the same. Quite some people, they were..."

Edward examined his commanding officer from head to toe. He looked relaxed and tensed in the same time. His darker than a moonless night eyes stared at the spilled liquid, countless feelings showing demurely. Anger, remembrance, sadness, happiness, love, hate, wrath, determination, they were all there.

Roy recalled one of his last memories with his parents. It was like it happened just a moment before, yet it felt so distant.

He was in the kitchen with his father. He still pictured in his head the unkempt sandy blond hair, the long bangs falling in his deep blue eyes. His mother exploded when she saw her husband towelling the freshly washed cooker on which about half a litre worth of coffee stood like a still lake.

"Haha, you were saying I never clean anything in the house" Cenric joked guiltily. Amaya started rambling at him, but she stopped the moment she heard her little boy weeping. She asked him in her soothing voice "What is wrong, my dearest jewel?" The Flame could never forget her soft charcoal hair, her floral scent and almond-shaped eyes. Between sobs, he replied "Why are you shouting at Daddy? He wanted to make you a surprise, but I didn't let him watch the coffee and, and - I'm sorry!" he cried in her chest. She smiled and hugged him tightly. His father embraced his wife and son and kissed them, told them how much he loved them. They were so happy, so close... what did they do wrong to deserve such a fate?! What? WHAT?...

Ed stepped next to his lover and stroked his hands. Roy didn't realise he clenched his fists. He looked in his golden eyes and curved his lips slightly in a pained smile. His eyes were gloomy and sorrowful; the little light in them was long gone. "What is wrong, Roy? It's the first time you ever mention your family so open" the blond tried to make the other talk. Roy couldn't believe it... he had the same tone as his mother... he covered his mouth with one hand.

Seeing no reaction, Ed continued "You know? I think you look a lot like your mother, but I guess you are as clumsy as your father, from what you say... I saw a picture on your desk, was it of them?" 'Come on, start talking, idiot!' Fullmetal raged inside.

Mustang stood silent. He kept his sad smile up. He reached for Edward's face and caressed his cheeks "It's not the time to tell you my story. Not now, maybe never"

"Why? Am I that much of a nuisance? I bet all your fellow comrades know it! I mean, Riza and-"

"No, they don't. The only one who knows it's me and my Aunt. And there are so many things not even her knows... You are not a nuisance and you will never be, Edward. I just want to protect you from what I had to live in"

What a lie. His Aunt indeed didn't know so many, but Maes did. However, the dead don't talk. And it said it all. He didn't need another man down.

"And what was that?" Ed said full of hope, but his expectations were turned down. Roy simply cuddled him in his arms and ruffled idly his messed up hair. "It was nothing..."

Pissed beyond limits, Edward pushed Roy's arms off of him. "Fine! It's the third or so time I mention your family and you look like you've seen a ghost! You really know how to ruin a perfect morning, you bastard!"

On a regular day, Roy would've run after his lover. He would've done something. But he couldn't move. His legs were glued to the cold hone on the floor, his eyes nailed on the dirty stove.

What a damned life.

XXXXX

Hawkeye paced in circles around Roy's huge office. She didn't care it was weekend, that was her job and she had to come and do it. Well, she wasn't paid to chase after her tail like a dog, but close enough. Her commanding officer wasn't there, so she supposed he was with his lover... maybe because it was a day when he wasn't supposed to be there. Nor was she, really.

She ached everywhere, but she was a soldier. She could be a woman in the outside world, but inside the military's building, she was nothing more but an officer. She didn't have the right to complain. The news about Roy and Edward shook her deeply, but who was she to say anything about it? She wasn't entitled to comment.

She still had feelings for Roy, and it hurt to see him with another one, not to mention a man, but she was also his friend, and friends needed to support each other. Maybe she will consider Havoc's invitation for dinner... was it still available? He asked her out a few days after the shocking realisation... yes, she should accept it, if Jean still wanted to go out with her. He was a nice man and perhaps things could work between them. Most importantly – he was no longer her comrade in arms. No fraternization issues here.

She looked at her watch. It was a gift from Roy. He gave it to her when she became his personal aid. She smiled at the reminder she had inside the carcass. A small photo with her and her dear friend from when they were young and he was under her father's protective wing. She carved under it his birthday date... there were still a few days till he celebrated it. She sighed. 'What are you doing, Roy... I think I stood by his side for too long and didn't do a thing... that's what you get for it, Riza"

Absorbed in thoughts, she didn't hear the door opening and closing. "Hello, Lieutenant"

Turning around, she saw Mustang. He had a wonderful smile on his face, but she knew all his masks. Deep down, he was sad.

"Hello, Sir. What are you doing in here? It's Saturday, you should be at home, resting. It's yo-" she stopped when the man rose his hand to silence her. "I have some work left to do. I should get to it"

She nodded and took out the papers Roy left Friday. He said he'd do them on Monday, that they weren't important... What really happened?

"Yes, Sir. Of course"

XXXXX

Edward stared at a shop's display. He wasn't mad on Roy, he couldn't be. But he wanted some answers. They've been dating for two month or something, but he still didn't tell him what the whole deal with that River guy was. He didn't even mention him! Maybe it was a past lover and he didn't want Ed to know about his failure. No, that was not it. It had to do with his past, alright, but it wasn't that shallow. He'd never seen the powerful officer break before, but for some time, he assisted to the man's breakdown for too many times. Something crushed his confidence, something bothered him... It pissed him that he didn't know what it was, when he was so close to Roy...

"Whatever" he suspired. He entered the shop. Roy's birthday was in a few days and he still didn't buy anything for him. Well, he found about it the day before, when he was rummaging through Mustang's private correspondence, so it was no surprise that he didn't get him anything yet. He found an old letter dated on his supposed birthday, signed by 'Amaya and Cenric'. He presumed it was from his parents.

_Our dearest Roy,_

_You are finally eighteen! You are from now on an adult and we are so proud of you. We hope you are doing well and you are having an illustrious future in front of you. You were born on a great day and your destiny is bright. Do not let yourself lose to the next challenges, be strong and wise. We know you will be._

_We deeply regret we cannot be with you right now. We always wanted to have you, to watch you grow up and settle, but we both knew it was too dangerous. Do not be mad on us, even now, when you cannot see us and maybe you have forgotten us. We still love you and we are with you, no matter where we are. We will watch your path closely and will pray for your success. We are sure you were the redemption of our sins and we thank you for being part of our life, even for such a little period._

_We would like to tell you this in person, and not through this letter we instructed Chris to give you when you turn eighteen. We truly hope it will not be necessarily for you to read it, and we will burn it together on this precious day, but, if you see these words, never forget to walk forward and to watch your back for enemies. We are watching you from up above and we know you will make us proud._

_We love you so much and we wish you a Happy Birthday and Many Anniversaries Ahead!_

_With all the love that there is in the world and all the heart we can bring ourselves to write with,_

_Amaya and Cenric_

It was sad to discover that letter. Edward felt like he violated Roy's property, but now, all he wanted was to find out what was going on.

Letting all his thoughts aside, the blond searched for a meaningful gift. He rolled his eyes through the many things in the musical shop – instruments, changes of cords, some stuff that looked very dubious... all sorts of things he considered extremely lame. But he was aware how fond of music Roy was, so he decided that'd be the best place to find something suited for his taste.

On the back of the store, there was the 'Records Room'. He remembered Roy had a gramophone. He should check out that section. The shelves were full of old and rare records. Perfect. He moved the big carton carcasses and read every title. Love songs, military anthems (yeah, sure, that'd only bring the man to depression), classic music, rock, some awkward sounding genres... He had no idea what to choose.

A shopkeeper came to him and asked if he needed any help. He explained that he looked for a special disc for the nostalgic type. Roy was definitely an incurable nostalgic. The very kind woman smiled at him and showed him a highly rare record. It was entitled "The songs that killed me slowly" and it seemed to be premium edition. It was a collection of many genres, mostly jazz and blues, all sung by an old band he knew Roy was a big fan of. Oh, it had an autograph on it! And what a name... so suited for the Flame.

He turned it to look on the backside of the disc. It was a re-edit of an album which dated from... December 1885? It was the same year and month as when Roy was born! He found the perfect gift, praise him. He thanked the woman and took the record and paid for it. The cashier felicitated him for his choice (maybe also because it was tremendously rare and expensive – apparently, it was one of a kind, with autographs and all) and packed it nicely in gift wrap. Ed smirked as he thought of Roy's surprised face when he receives the package... he'll make sure to make this birthday memorable. He'll definitely get a very long and heated night.

Maybe he'll get some information too...

XXXXX

Roy signed the hundredth paper for the day. It was already Monday evening... when did the time pass? He was thinking of his upcoming birthday. It was the next day. He was getting old... 'Bah, I'm still young! How can I be thinking of such stupid things?' He was turning thirty and he was already a General aiming for the post of Fuhrer... what the hell did he do with his life to turn out like this?!

He couldn't help but smile at the simple reminder of Edward asking him out for his third decade celebration, about which he had found out in questionable ways. They were going to a select restaurant, all part of his lover's gift (knowing how cheap he was, Roy wondered what he really had in mind). He will even dress in a tuxedo! Mustang smirked. It was the hottest thing to think of. He liked Edward's leather pants, but him wearing a suit – that had to be one in a lifetime sight.

It was getting late. He should head home... Tonight, he was alone, as Edward refused to see him before his birthday. Some 'no touching till your day' bullshit. He should...

*KNOCKKNOCK*

Roy looked confused at the door. Hawkeye never knocked... well, she kind of started to do so when Fullmetal was in his office, as she didn't want to repeat the scarring experience of finding them almost naked on the desk; nonetheless, she never knocked when he was alone. He said in an authoritarian voice "Enter"

His eyes went wide. My, my, who was at his door...

No one other than the great Olivier Armstrong, closely followed by Miles. Well, she kind of announced her presence in advance, didn't she? The half Ishbalan closed the door behind them. Smirking teasingly, Roy said "Who do we have here? What an honour! With what thoughts you two came here, dear Miles and Mira?"

Miles shook his hand. "Only peaceful thoughts, Roy" he responded before the Major General exploded at the pronunciation of her second given name. She hated that name. She said it was too... feminine for her (insisting to be called Olivier, a masculine name, truly didn't help).

"To ruin your birthday, of course" Armstrong said smugly. Miles took off his glasses to narrow his red eyes at her. He put a big box on the desk. "Happy birthday in advance" they said in unison.

"Thank you, Major General, Major. So nice to have you here" Roy said frankly. He opened the package. Inside, there were another two boxes, one black and the other one, blue. He wisely chose the blue one, on which was written _From Miles_. He smiled and thanked the Major for his great gift idea. "You really are great, Miles, for finding these books. With all my connections, I couldn't find them! Do you know how rare they are?! Thank you so much!" Roy said excited. Hooray! Some good quality readings!

But the black box was another story and he almost had a heart attack when he opened it. "Mira..."

The woman grinned, the showing teeth resembling the fangs of a hyena. "It's surprising what you find up there in the mountains"

Miles disclaimed himself immediately "Her idea entirely" he pointed at the woman, who was savouring the face Roy made.

"Figured... but Armstrong... what the actual hell?! I don't want to be ungrateful, but..."

"Shut up, Mustang. You can't hide anything from me and you know it. So, how's life with your subordinate?"

"I don't know what you are talking about" Roy spoke innocently. 'Bitch'

"Bullshit. Whatever, you'll tell us when you'll want to. Till then, you could make nice use of these. You see, I can almost picture you using this kind of things... we both know you are kinda twisted, boy"

Mustang pressed his lips together and stared at the dubious gift. Sexual toys... the woman had such a wrong way of telling her congratulations... But he indeed could make use of the things... Oh, the joy! He nodded at her and closed the box after removing the precious books. The rest was for later...

Ed would definitely kill him...

XXXXX

It was getting really late. In a way or another, Roy managed to sneak from work and get a drink with his unexpected guests. Armstrong denied that she came to see him just because she missed the annoying officer; she explained that she had to visit her family for the winter holidays, after all, she didn't join her siblings for this celebration for... what, eight years? Nine years? Something like that. Why she dragged Miles after her, that was another story.

After spending most of the afternoon with Olivier and her former subordinate, Roy excused himself and went to wonder in the bad lighten city. He walked around for hours, not really wanting to go home and find the house empty, as he left it in the morning. So instead, he paced aimlessly.

Mustang looked at his pocket watch. It clearly read twelve PM. He chuckled. Another birthday spent outside, in open air.

"Happy birthday, Roy..." he muttered, watching himself in a small ice pool. The air was frozen and the wind stung his face. The Flame alchemist to be born in the coldest season of all... his parents really pulled a sick joke on their child's destiny. No one knew he'd take that wretched path... perhaps worse than what his parents had to do.

It was time to go home.

Quite lost in thoughts, he passed by a nonstop flower shop. Remembering something, he changed directions and headed for the military grave grounds. Idyllic indeed, spending the first hours of your birthday in the graveyard, but Roy made sure to make a tradition out of this.

With a small bouquet of immortelles, he entered the land of those who rest forever. Or that's how he hoped it'd be when you die. To work even in dead... that was so morbid!

He walked on the alley he knew too well and stopped in front of a marble tombstone. "Hey there, Maes. Long time no see" he said and placed the flowers on the grave. He took a seat on a nearby bench.

"See? I didn't forget to come. You remember we used to see each other at midnight and drink till the morning when it was out birthdays. You, in March, me, in December. Well, I'm kind of late, it's already half past twelve, but I'm here. Maybe you know about Ed... I feel quite dumb. How could I fall in my own trap? And now, that instable uncle of mine... I know for sure he's up to something, but I'm not sure what. I might be paranoid, but if he'd only want to hurt me, that's alright. Well, I'm not even sure if he showed himself some weeks ago just to avert me. Maybe he's got a mission somewhere and he needed to make a bait. But he's good at his job, so if he really wants me, he won't even touch me before he makes sure I lose my mind over something. And..."

Roy stopped abruptly and sniffed his nose. It was so funny, talking to a grave. No, he was talking to his best friend, Maes Hughes, long gone. "You weren't supposed to leave me like that, Maes" he taunted. "Not you. Where are you and your stupid advices that always helped me?! Why?! WHY?!" He punched the marble tomb. His hand hurt, but it didn't count. A small tear seeped past his cheek. "I'm an idiot, heh? To break so easily. I know. But I want to protect that kid. He's a kid. But he's also my kid. No one takes what's mine, didn't you say to never let go of what I have? So I'll take care of him. No matter how. You think it's okay to think like that?"

Like an answer, the wind blew slower, almost soothingly. It was so peaceful... Roy stroked the tombstone. "I know, I know. I also miss you, dear friend. For once, I'll listen to what you told me some years ago. I'll follow my heart"

XXXXX

The next day, Edward stood in front of the Mustang residence. It was way past four in the evening. He used his key and opened the door. As planned, Roy was still at work. Great!

He placed the nicely wrapped record he bought some days ago and the birthday card. Roy would find it when he returned home to change for their date. Ed smiled at that. The raven haired man's face shining with happiness, all for him and because of him... what a mastermind he was!

Smirking, he looked at his pocket watch. The date of that wretched day when he burnt his house glimmered in the poor light. It no longer hurt. It no longer meant anything. It was just an old reminder. He prevailed in his quest. It now meant nothing. He had Roy now. A new quest. All he could hope that his journey at Roy's side wasn't going to end. He didn't want that.

He sighed. It was about time to head out and dress into something more official. Roy would drop his jaw at the sight, that was for sure.

XXXXX

Roy left his office through the window. What a blind luck to work at the ground floor! Riza would kill him if he left so early, no matter the reason. Who cared it was his birthday? She didn't.

He straightened his uniform and headed home in an alert pace. He was so excited! He wondered why Ed insisted on meeting him directly at the restaurant. Roy stopped in realisation. Of course! His lover wanted to go somewhere fancy so that they could dress smartly. The General didn't have any tuxedos at the office, so he needed to go home. Most likely, Ed left him something there. He caught him a few nights before that he was duplicating his house keys using alchemy.

It made lots of sense. What a sly one, Edward. 'Such a refined choice' Roy complimented himself for choosing to date him. That was so much fun, guessing what he had prepared for him.

Only if it had worked according to the plan...

XXXXX

Edward headed happily for the restaurant. He was in a perfectly fitted suit, surprisingly comfortable, but still awkward. He never dressed like that. It pretty much sucked, but he could survive for a few hours like this, couldn't he?

Out of the blue, he stumbled into something. Or more accurately, something shook him. He looked around, and didn't see anything particularly wrong. He continued to walk... and he felt it again, only harder. It was like an earthquake, but nothing moved.

It was alchemy.

And then, not too far away, a huge explosion occurred. He stared at the fuming place and ran into its direction.

He had a bad feeling about it...

XXXXX

_Twenty minutes ago_

Roy happily walked to his home. Five minutes to reach home, ten to dress up, another ten minutes to drive to the restaurant... he would be perfectly on time, if not earlier. Lovely.

Musing to himself, he became quite oblivious of his surroundings. He paced instinctively. He turned on a back alley, a good shortcut in a hurry. He fished for his keys, as he was really close to his house. He fumbled in his pockets. Where the hell were they?

"Looking for these?" someone spoke behind him. Mustang turned on his heels and looked in the voice's direction. His eyes stood sharp and focused even after the mysterious person's reveal.

From the shadow, a tall silhouette rolling his keys on its index finger grinned at him. His sandy blond hair shone brightly in the winter pale light. Some ugly scars adorned his otherwise handsome face like a third rate painting, colours faded and chaotic. He looked like the devil without horns, he looked like an angel surrounded by halo. So vile and yet so pure... what a disturbing character!

"Boy, isn't it the time to get freaked?" he asked chuckling rudely.

Roy narrowed his eyes, not losing composure. It wasn't time to make wrong moves. He straightened his back and pulled on his ignition gloves. He didn't need them, as he could do all sorts of alchemy without a circle, but appearances had to be kept up. "How funny, Uncle. Long time, no see"

Around them, time stood still. Only some snowflakes dared to fall on the burning ground.

It smelled like death...

* * *

A/N: Pam pam pam! That's it for now, the rush will be explained the next chapter. Next, we will have lots of action and some flashbacks. I hope you don't hate me for this chapter. Anyway - please don't forget to review/follow/favourite this story! It really helps!

Thank you so much for putting up with me, you are all so great! Till the next time! Bye, bye!


	9. 9 - Some snow and too much water

A/N: Way too long time and no see! Sorry for the delay, it is highly frustrating to have a chapter done and not be able to post it because of network errors.

But who cares, here it is. It has many explaining past flashes. Hope it won't be confusing. I truly hope you'll enjoy it!

For warnings, swearing and violence. Lots of blood. Oh, and please don't hate me for the ending! Not that I regret it. *evil grin*

Don't forget to review/follow/favourite. Thank you for reading and now, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 9 – Some snow and too much water

'What was that?! Well, not my problem' Ed pulled his silver watch from his breast pocket, and opened the lid. 'Roy must be waiting for me at the restaurant, just look at the clock! Damn!'

Ed lifted his left foot forward... and stopped abruptly. 'But what if there are any casualties?... I might be late, but he'll lecture me for not doing anything... Not like I care... Screw it, I have to see what happened. And why did it feel like alchemy?'

Edward nearly fell a few times on his way to the explosion sight. He felt somehow weak, the strength in his feet long gone. Why was he feeling like that? That was strange... most likely the event occurred due to a gas leak or something similar... no, it was alchemy. No doubts. The Earth's energy flow was disrupted for a few seconds and he didn't know why.

He knew better than to freak out, but he still wasn't completely comfortable. He approached a still smoking building he presumed the explosion came from. It looked like a deposit and it was not too far away from the Central headquarters. It could be the military's, but he really couldn't care less. Ed made his way inside the debris. The many boxes inside were most likely full of gun powder or some sort of ammunition, it smelled heavily of it. Oddly enough, only a few central boxes were destroyed by the fire, those around them weren't even touched. So it was a localised fire...? Was it even possible? Unless...

Ed continued to investigate the eerily smelling warehouse. It was well placed, the entrance hidden somewhere in the back of a remote alley. Quite strategic. But accidents could happen everywhere...

He heard a grunt. A grunt of pain? Perhaps. He widened his eyes and sharpened his ears... the sound stopped. It was gone... than again. It sounded like someone fell. Then some... sparks?

Edward hurried in the light's direction. It was clearly made by alchemy. Red and blue flashes coloured the darkness sinisterly.

He picked up the pace. It was like if he didn't speed up, it'd be the end of everything. And then he suddenly stopped. Out of breath, the teen backed up, holding tightly his now injured shoulder. He wanted to advance; however, something sharp cut his cheek. He touched his face... there was blood.

'What the hell...?'

XXXXX

_Thirty-eight years ago, in a big city mansion_

"Good Heavens, boys, what's with this mess?!" the mother scolded. The cramped up closet looked like after a small revolution, brooms and cleaning supplies scattered on the floor, boxes full of chalk dust and papers. She looked at the two boys giggling on each other's shoulder, barely containing their laughter. On the floor was drawn an awkward looking circle, with some strange symbols inside.

"What have you two done in here?" She analysed the precise transmutation circle. In the middle of it, there was a small shining statuette of a horse, most probably made of ice. "Who did this?" she asked, rising a pale eyebrow.

"I only helped with calculating the percentage of humidity in the room... just to speed things up. Mom, he's really good at it! See?" the older child praised his brother, frantically gesturing. Their mother looked at them with a great smile on her face.

"Well, that's not true... it wasn't that hard... brother helped a lot, really!" the youngest tried to hide his achievement.

"Shut up, Telford, you're good at this! I mean, you're my brother, so yeah! It must go into the family, right, Mom?" Show off.

The mother smiled at her boys. "I have the best children I could ask for. I'm so proud of you" she hugged them both. After letting go of them, she said soulfully "Cenric, make sure you will help your brother with learning alchemy... maybe you also learn some! I'm so happy! Promise me you'll show me how you evolve, yes?"

Telford blushed deeply. "Okay, Mom..." he said modestly. Cenric, not one to lose the opportunity to jump into his brother's help, added solemnly "It is my duty as the oldest of us, so don't worry. We're making you a great alchemist, ha-ha" he laughed drily. He pulled his brother in his arms and ruffled his hair. Their mother grinned and looked again at the ice figurine. It wasn't melting; it was still frozen, despite the high temperature of the room.

She had such good children...

...

"Hey, Cen?" Telford called after his brother. "Thanks for helping"

Cenric Mustang smiled and ruffled his perfectly combed hair. "No problem. But are you sure about this? Water alchemy? Isn't it a bit... you know, useless?"

The cadet absently ran his fingers through his hair and fixed the floor with his deep blue eyes. The complicated circle under his feet... he knew that's what he wanted to do. He could find some appliance to it... he would do something for the people of Amestris! He'd enrol after graduating the military school, no wait – he'd first join the academy. Well, the order didn't matter. He's going to be so great! His father will be so proud, to have a national alchemist in the family! Just a few more years, and his dream could come true!

"Yes, I'm sure. I will find something useful do with it... I need to perfectly understand the four elements before doing anything. I will study it and become a state alchemist" Telford vowed.

"Well, if that's what you want... I'm okay with it. I'll help if I can"

"Help with what?" a feminine voice asked.

"With nothing, Chris!" Telford said without putting too much thought into it. Rising her eyebrow, the dark haired girl pressed her lips together "Tsk. I overheard you, stupid, but don't worry, I'm in. We're a team, after all!"

Cenric looked at his younger sister, who was playing with her long hair. Her eyes were determined, but they held a softness he couldn't put into words. She'd make a great spy later, just as she wanted. Not like she had a choice, after all, it was their family's tradition to provide the state with well-trained spies. But he somehow wanted to do something different... maybe some investigations? He enjoyed reading his father's mystery books. Finding clues, linking facts, chasing murderers, that's what he'd love to do. So, he'd help Telford to reach his goal, as Telford promised him to help with his. Maybe he'll get to do research work instead of killing people. He could get used to that, really.

"Fine, thanks. You know I don't need that much help, I can manage it alone. I'm not stupid" the younger boy bragged.

"Sure, sure. Though we're still helping you. You know you won't be able to do anything without us" Chris said and playfully messed his sandy locks. They were a family, and help is what family does. They were part of a very dysfunctional one, but who knows? Maybe they'd make it work.

...

"Kids! Come here for a moment!" Mister Mustang called after his children. "Trust me, dear, you'll love it in here. My wife will make sure you'll have everything you need, and I'm sure you will get along with the children. You've already seen Cen, and don't get him wrong, he normally isn't like you've seen him. He's actually quite a sweet child if you get to know him. The other two are around your age, too, so I think you have the same interests. And you'll love my daughter, she's smart like you"

"I imagine, Mister Mustang, though it doesn't matter, as long as you are this kind and allow me to live with your family. I am truly obliged and I'll prove myself, I can assure you" the girl next to him thanked.

Her hair was tied up in a thick bun, a few strands falling into her rosy face. She was a flower by all means, ridiculously intelligent, beautiful as a painting and very versatile; Reginald Mustang was sure he'd make a great person out of her. He found her fighting heartily with his oldest son after she killed one of his targets, a whoremaster whom she worked for and tried to aggress her. The foreign girl had it in her, and, with some good old fashioned work, she'd make a good heir for his profession. She'd work alongside with his children, of whom he was so proud.

"Don't worry" he smiled at her. The three children descended from upstairs, running down the stairs, pushing each other, laughing loudly.

"KIDS! Don't run in the house! Why do you never do this outside and you do it only inside?!" their mother scolded.

Like they were one, the children slowed down and replied "Sorry!" The woman rolled her eyes and entered the living room as well. She smiled to the girl, they have already got acquainted.

"So, why did you call us here?" Cenric was the first to talk. "Oh" he made after realising the one who bruised half of his abdomen was in the same room with him.

But damn, didn't she look good.

Well, it could be worth the try. "We didn't get to talk, and I'm glad to see you here. I am Cenric, pleased to meet you. How do you do" he said, offering his hand like the social butterfly he was. The girl looked at it and then shook it delicately and gracefully, as she learned to do with her former clients. He looked like a nice person in better light. Handsome and brilliant. She might forgive him for breaking two of her ribs.

Still leading the conversation, Cenric introduced his brother and sister "Where are my manners. Please meet my brother and sister, Telford and Chris. I believe you've already met our mother"

"Yes, I did. Nice to meet you all... err" she paused, looking a little lost in front of all those overly-enthusiastic Amestrians. They looked like a humble family. If only on the outside, as at least the oldest boy knew how to pack some good punches... God knows how were the rest...

"Oh, yes, I'm Amaya" she added, frustrated that she didn't say it earlier. However, the smiles on their faces didn't falter.

Yes, they were good people. She couldn't wait to talk to them and, oh! to start her training! It was going to be so great! They will be her family from now on.

Even the weather was happy for her unexpected luck. It was so warm and so sunny!...

XXXXX

It was getting colder and colder...

Edward stared at his blood stained hands. How could he be harmed in open air? Empty, open air? By what? Looking around, he couldn't see anyone or anything that could possibly cause those injures. The warehouse was suspiciously quiet... 'Okay, maybe it was just my imagination...' Thinking like that, Fullmetal straightened his back and stepped forward. A few strands of his bangs fell on the floor.

Narrowing his eyes, the alchemist realised he was surrounded by some sort of shinny nearly-invisible threads. He tried to make the better of his surroundings. He avoided moving too much, he still needed his head and didn't need to have it cut by some stupid strings.

Another explosion shook the building, this time it was from the outside. 'Great, now I'm stuck in here like an idiot' the blond cursed. He lowered his eyes to look at his feet. Maybe he could reach the ground and transmute something that could cut his restraints. That could work. He slowly kneeled, remaining as straight as he could. 'Steady, steady, easy...' he reminded himself. His kneels finally touched the ground. He clapped his hands and slowly pressed them on the flooring. From the floor, some large scissor-looking objects erected and broke the strings. Still very much cautious, Edward moved forward. He didn't need others things cut.

After searching the warehouse for any signs of life, he decided to exit through a different door than the one he used to enter the deposit. The building had a backdoor. Apparently, the last noise he heard came from that direction. He walked warily on the wet floor. All around him, there were small puddles. However, Ed couldn't explain how the water got there... It just appeared out of nowhere, as there were no evident leaks from the ceiling, nor any visible trails of water. And, technically speaking, when things still burned around, water should evaporate, right?

'Whoever did this, he doesn't care about physics laws' Ed tried to get the better of the situation and failed at it. Right then, he started panicking.

The last thing before the door was a pile of wood which still fumed. With that much water around, it shouldn't be able to produce any flames. And it was awkwardly cold. Not sure what to expect, Edward pushed the door open with his automail leg and backed off a little. Perfect, nothing popped up. He advanced. The street looked surprisingly peaceful, no one passing by. The air was cold and quite moist. Nothing out of the ordinary, as it was mid-December.

Edward moved his feet to walk away from the building, but he suddenly felt like he couldn't make them advance. He stood still, completely against his will. He looked down and saw his black boots literally glued to the pavement. 'What now?!' As he frantically lowered himself to get out of his shoes, something cold and sharp pocked at his neck. The young alchemist turned his head to see who pointed that thing at him, which seemed to be an... icicle? Sharp as a knife, supple as sin. What a sick joke.

"Who are y-" Edward stopped midway and widened his eyes. Hold it for a moment...

He remembered that face from somewhere! He saw it in the photo on Roy's desk! The sandy haired man he presumed was his father. But weren't Mustang's parents dead? And he didn't remember seeing any scars on the man from the picture. The man who stranded him had a big burn mark on half of his forehead, on his right cheek and neck, and it looked like it continued under his clothes. Most of the scar was covered by his dirty-gold hair which went a bit over his shoulders. It almost hurt to look into the man's eyes, they were deep blue and they held an inhuman desire of revenge within them. The same desire he once saw in Roy's eyes.

With a wide grin, the man spoke in a low voice, clearly mocking. Why would he mock Edward? No, it had to be someone else. He wasn't talking to him. "It is nearly funny how you all come to me and I don't even need to chase you around. Right, Blondie? My, my, boy, you really have good eyes for such things, I give you that"

"Who the hell are you talking to?!" Edward struggled in the man's restraints, but he couldn't move. It was like his entire body was frozen.

"You have no shame, do you? Like you ever had" another voice spoke. "Let go of him, you forgot you were fighting me? Or did your old age make you forget?"

Edward gasped at Roy's sight. The man's overcoat was in pretty good shape, like the uniform underneath, a little burnt and cut, and... was that blood? It was full of blood! His chest was painfully covered in crimson stains, some parts of the top being unwounded though. Still, there was so much blood... His aggressor as well had a few injures, and was as dirty as the General.

"No, I didn't" the other man answered, clearing his throat. He whiffed rudely. "But a little distraction always comes in hand, right, Roy? Well, that's how your father used to say, at the very least... and look what happened to him... Pity"

Roy shivered in anger. He clenched his gloved fists. "Do not dare to speak of him like that. You don't want to know what will happen to you"

The blond man chuckled and mimicked clapping, though the firm grip on Edward never faltered. His arms were ridiculously strong. "Really? Well, there's no flame. Seeing you getting angry, it reminds me how good it's an angry prey. It rips nice and easy, if you know what I mean. Do you, Roy?"

The Flame's patience snapped at that. Of course he knew what he meant! His aunt told him how the sociopath got his father's eye out and how he ripped off his mother's ankle with his bare hands. And now he dared to use Edward, as a shield?! That cur had no shame!

Looking at his lover, assuring him one last time that everything would be fine, Roy stepped forward, as graciously as a swan. He turned his eyes to measure his uncle's eyes. His eyes were a few shades darker than they were supposed, if that was possible. The younger Mustang cracked into a forced laughter and bowed, full of mockery.

"Well, Uncle dear, if you want flames that badly, then let there be flames!" he made and snapped his fingers.

XXXXX

_Thirty-three years ago_

"Father, please, no! NO! PLEASE! DON'T!" Telford begged his leaving father. He fell to his knees, watching his life-long dream being burnt. How could his father do this to him?! It was all he ever wanted to do! Alchemy could come in handy in their profession, not to mention he was good at it! He even learnt how to make invisible strings of ice or how to solidify the atmospheric water and transmute it into flying projectiles. He wanted to enter the army's national alchemists program and work under it. He'd get his founding from them and live a peaceful life. Why was his father crushing his hope? Why was he setting his work on fire?

The youngest Mustang stood still, silently sobbing. His chest hurt. The smoke was heavy, but the flames were slowly dying. He worked five years to get that research done, and now, it was just a pile of ashes. With that, he could join the military... It was his work! It was so unfair...

"Hey, brother, what's going on?" Cenric asked from the kitchen's window. The well-kept lawn in front of the kitchen looked like the scene of a massacre. Quick to act, the older teen jumped out of the window and covered the burnt grass with a wet towel. "That should stop it. Now, tell me what happened"

Telford looked at him with sorrowful eyes. He searched in his older brother's eyes any indication of guilt, but there was none. Did he... no, he couldn't. He had his doubts, but why would he?...

"Hey, Ford, I can't guess what's in your mind. Who did this? Was it... oh..." Cenric gasped.

"Cenric, just one thing... This morning, I saw you speaking with Father. What did you tell him?" the youngest asked with a glimpse of hope in his voice.

"Well, I told him that you want to become a state alchemist. I thought he might find you a teacher, so you could take your studies to a higher level. After that, he said he wanted to talk to you. But I don't understand why he was so angry when I told him..."

Telford stared at his brother with a look of pure hatred. So he was right, he betrayed him. "How dare you... "

Cenric lifted his eyebrows. What was he talking about? "Excuse me?"

"You- YOU! How could you do this to me!?"

"Hey, take it easy, brother, I didn't me-" Cenric lifted his hands up. 'What's wrong with him?!'

"You know he wouldn't let me do alchemy! I told you to keep it a secret!"

"Yeah, but I tried to convince him and-"

"And nothing! You didn't listen to me! You promised! YOU FUCKING PROMISED!" Telford yelled at his brother. Their father hated all the alchemists, as his own parents were killed by one when he was only ten. He didn't want his spawns to take that path, and it infuriated him to see his child learn it in secret. Why wasn't he like his perfect older brother? Cenric was the embodiment of the ideal Mustang, attitude and looks. He understood that his destiny was to become the state's dog and kill, torture and do whatever the state commanded. He accepted his fate. His sister also. And there he was, stupid little brother, trying to rewrite history like the idiot he proved himself to be.

Cenric scratched his head. He couldn't understand what he did so wrong... He merely wanted to help him get along better with their father. It wasn't that hard to tell that Telford and his father spited each other, but him, as the seemingly favourite son, he could reinforce their fragile relationship... he wanted to help...

Suddenly, the older teen found himself on the pavement, far away from the soft grass. A thick liquid seeped on his face... Blood? He looked at his raging brother who was clenching his fists. He just couldn't believe it. He didn't even feel the pain, that shocked he was. "Did you just... punch me?" He rose from the ground and reached for Telford, to calm him down. 'I can handle this...' he assured himself.

He extended his hand to pat the younger's shoulder, but the teen pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me! I HATE YOU!" Telford bellowed and ran away from him.

"What?!" Cenric murmured. He crossed his arms over his chest. Behind him, Amaya put her head on his lowered shoulder. "I'd ask what happened in here, but should I think it's some sort of barbeque?" she asked.

"I kind of don't know what happened either..." he turned and looked in the woman's eyes. He caressed her face gently. "Amy, do you think I did something wrong? All I wanted was to help"

"Well, some of us really don't need help. But who knows? Maybe he'll forgive you. After all, his knowledge is still there, in his head" she said and poked his forehead.

"Yes, maybe"

...

"Chris, pass me the other plates, please"

It was a bright Saturday, perfect for a wedding. Amaya and Cenric decided to marry that very day, mostly because it was the middle of the summer and they both enjoyed the nice weather. Now, the bride was offering the plates of her special home-made cake, and in return, her baking skills were complimented by every guest. It was decided, she was a great baker.

Cenric was making conversation with everyone, being the heart of the party as usual. Laughing there, debating there, making politics there, gossiping there. He moved from a guest to another, blabbering about everything and everyone. It was very amusing and entertaining for him as talking was one of his best skills. Sometimes, he cast a quick glance to his beautiful wife who was returning the look with a hidden smirk and an all-knowing wink.

Cenric considered himself the luckiest man on the globe. He finally convinced the woman he was madly in love with to marry him and they had a very nice home together in a quiet village. They were able to work on their missions together, and nothing seemed to go against them.

Their wedding turned out a great success. It was that enjoyable that none of them noticed the jealous eyes with which Telford watched them. He made truce with his brother for telling their father about his future plans, but he just couldn't get past the obvious fact that Amaya didn't choose him. He was sure he conquered her heart, she was showing all the possible signs that he indeed succeeded, she made so many advances and he returned them, and when he finally gather the guts to ask her hand he was told that she was going to marry his brother. His fucking perfect brother, Cenric the Greatest and Magnificent and Smartest and most Handsome. Be damned.

Be damned!

It was so unfair, but he couldn't do anything. After all, he wanted his brother to be happy, but he was still only human. It hurt seeing your love taken away, but who was he to do anything?

...

"Your brother truly is brave to go and take the state alchemist examination after all that happened" Amaya told her husband. After taking another sip of her tea, she added "Or very stupid"

Cenric chuckled. "Well, I think he did it to go against father. It was a great setback when he burnt his research. I'm curious if he'll make it in the military"

"He's a smart one, I don't see why not. Only if something goes wrong, it might be troubleso-" the woman stopped abruptly and put a hand over her slightly bulged belly. She opened her mouth shocked and then cracked it into a wide smile. "Oh, Good Lord" she made surprised. Cenric stared at her, he didn't understand why her features changed from fear to ecstasy. Seeing his confused look, she took his hand and placed it over her stomach and said breathlessly "Can you... can you feel it?"

Cenric's face turned bright. His whole body trembled and he couldn't stop it. He looked in his wife's black eyes. "I... Oh, my flower" he muttered, smiling sheepishly. He rose from his chair and hugged her. "I'm no flower, silly" she giggled and squeezed his back. "He's a hard kicker, he's gonna break many hearts"

Cenric let go of her a little uncertain and asked "He? You mean it's... a boy?"

"No, silly, it's a girl, but I like calling her like that. Of course it's a boy! The doctor told me yesterday. The neighbour's wife was so excited, she said she's gonna marry her girl to him. She's a joker, that woman, and makes great coffee, but I can't drink it now... whatever, she's gonna have a baby girl, isn't it cute?" Amaya explained. "They'll be friends, I'm sure!" she made happily.

Cenric lifted his eyebrows and watched her intently. "How come even the neighbours know about its gender and I don't?" Amaya pondered for a few moments, right thumb playing with her lower lip. "Meant it as a surprise?" she offered.

"Sure, sure. Maybe next time you remember this is also my child, and not the neighbour's"

The Xingese woman laughed rudely. "Err... who said so?" she teased.

"Amaya..." Cenric's face went stern.

"Sheesh, and I'm supposed to be the one to have mood swings. Of course it's yours, idiot. Do you thing that little of me?" she lightly punched his arm. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her hard. He brought his hands up to cup her cheeks and whispered "I wouldn't dare, my love"

"You're so full of it. Whatever, how should we call him? I want a strong name and completely Amestrian. I hate Xingese names, they're too soft for me"

"Arnold. That's a good name" Cenric said. Amaya shook her head. He tryed again. "Arthur? Daniel? Andrew? Marion? Um... Russell?"

"Really, Cenric? How do you even come up with these? They're common and so unfitting!" she said, frowning.

"Fine, then let's call him... Roy? You know, like a king?" Amaya considered it for a second and then nodded, extending her delicate hand that twisted so many necks and sealed so many pacts.

"Deal"

XXXXX

"Roy?... Roy! What are you doing!? Wait!" Edward shouted. Roy snapped his fingers, thick flames forming from the tip of his reactive gloves. Ed's vision blurred, he couldn't see anything. Steam hit him hard over the face and he lost his balance. He felt himself falling. He hit something hard... most likely the ground. The alchemist closed his eyes, letting himself slip into swoon.

A few moments later, he was panting hard. The heat was gone, as only familiar warmth remained. Someone was caressing his arms. The blond snapped his eyes open and blinked them a few times so he could make out the shapes. He was surrounded in thick smoke, but the air was still breathable.

He tried to stand up, but he was pushed down. "Take it easy, there's no rush" a deep voice soothed him. Edward narrowed his eyes and scolded "Are you mad in the head, you bastard? Why the fuck did you want to set me on fire?!"

Roy cracked a smile. "Genius, why would I set you on fire? You forgot we practiced together localised fire? I needed to melt your restraints and to push that idiot away" he explained calmly. He kissed his lover's forehead.

"Whatever... wait, Roy, who is that guy?"

"The love of my life" Mustang joked and helped him up.

"What?"

"No, really. Let's get ourselves a steak" Roy smirked mischievously, his depthless pools sparkling dangerously. Ed eyed him warily. "Do you plan on... burning him?"

"Just a little" the Flame winked and took his hand into his.

XXXXX

_A few minutes ago, in a restaurant_

"You should've seen his face! Priceless, tellin' ya" Jean Havoc spoke rapidly, voice cracking with amusement. In front of him, on the other side of the bistro table, Riza Hawkeye was laughing hard at his stories, which she found simply hilarious.

It took the former soldier quite some time to convince the serious Lieutenant to join him for dinner, but he managed to do it. He was actually proud of himself. It didn't have to mean much, but, knowing they were both lonely and bored, he thought it might be nice to spend some time together. Funnily, the diligent working officer wasn't as frightening as he thought she'd be. At least without a gun in her hand, she seemed pretty lovely.

They were currently talking about some crazy experiences he had with Mustang in an old mission, when Riza happened to be bed ridden. "Why am I sick only when something interesting happens?" she asked, playing with her cocktail's straw.

"I don't know. Like to be shocked by the tales, maybe?" he suggested. She shook her head and laughed some more. His presence was actually very pleasurable, why didn't she notice that until then?

What she did notice was that his shirt's breast pocket started buzzing. "Err... Jean?" He patted his chest and pulled out a small metallic box. "Shit" he cursed under his breath. "Riza, I'm so sorry that I hate to cut this short, I love talking to you, but we've got to go" He waved his hand for the waiter.

She didn't ask any more questions, that good of a soldier she was. Pondering a little, after being pulled out of the restaurant, she questioned "What's going on? Why are we-!" she yanked her arm from his hand. "I want some explaining, and I want it now, Jean"

Seeing that she was on the verge of pulling out her gun, Jean explained as fast as he could "That thing? It's a radio transmitter. It's connected to some special designed gloves I made for the General. He is supposed to wear them when he was in danger, so he could signal me that something is wrong"

"He... what? Why didn't I know about this?"

"Beats me, but we have to find where he- Ah, no need for this" Jean said and looked at the smoke that lifted from a distant building. "I guess he's that way"

XXXXX

Roy suddenly crouched, pulling Edward down with him. He rolled on the frozen ground and snapped his fingers at an unseen target. The response came quicker than expected. Something that looked like a huge icicle was thrown in his direction. He backed down, trying to avoid the many sharp strings that started popping up around him. He snapped his fingers a few more times.

He managed to sneak back to Ed, who was currently making alchemy created walls to restrain the aggressor. "Ed, go find Jean. He'll be here soon" Roy simply pushed the blond away and snapped his fingers once more in his uncle's direction. The man responded by exploding a hydrant that peacefully resided next to the warehouse. Hot water burst out, and he redirected it to trap Roy.

"Damn, you're hard to catch" Telford said as some strings cut through the rough reactive cloth of his white gloves. It fell off in small pieces. "Okay, now you're harmless" Roy fixed him with his black eyes. His long lost sibling was watching him with curious eyes, dark with hatred and pain. The General looked him back in the eye with the same emotions showing clearly. He then burst into laughter, remembering of course not to move too much, as he didn't need his neck severed by some stupid ice strings.

Telford measured him from head to toe. "Why are you laughing, Roy?"

"Of how blind you can be" he said and snapped his bare fingers to melt his restrains.

Come on, it was like a child's play to finish him off, only if he caught him. That was a major issue, his uncle was tremendously fast. Roy snapped aimlessly, hoping he'd at least touch his uncle, who was clearly surprised by his act. Telford crystallised the water that surrounded him and made himself some sort of protection until he hid behind a fence, very conveniently placed. 'How the hell can he use alchemy without a circle?!' he thought.

Feeling again in charge of the situation, Roy advanced, continuing to snap his fingers in different directions. Not one to back down, the blond alchemist created new strings. They threw with things at each other – Roy with fire balls, Telford with icicles. Why couldn't he make it rain?!

Edward looked at the two men who were fighting ferociously. What really beat his imagination was the reason why no one, not even a curious citizen showed up. Not like he needed some more people to save, but it was still unusual. Anyway, he could declare himself useless. Roy and the other alchemist were trying to kill each other and all he could do was to watch them. 'They're really strong' he noticed. The nameless alchemist was pushing with precise blows, so was Roy. He couldn't help but wonder why their movements had a very similar grace, like they had been trained by the same master.

"Damn!" Roy yelled. He lost his footing and slipped on the thick ice that polished the ground. He fell on the ground. He pushed his feet and evaded a huge blast of water by mere inches. 'Okay, need a new strategy'

Roy clapped his hands as he was taught by Ed and erected some false walls around himself and his uncle. The man broke the near warehouse's exterior walls helped by water's pressure and got out of the trap. Roy followed him inside. 'Got you' he thought.

Roy snapped his fingers more precisely. He was aiming for his dear uncle, who was barely escaping. The raven haired alchemist definitely held the upper hand.

Knowing he'd lose if he didn't act quickly, Telford made a wide gesture and covered the walls in thick layers of ice, polished enough that one could mirror himself in them. "Let's play a game, Roy!" he sang madly.

Roy was only seeing himself reflected in the artificial mirrors. He couldn't burn everything around him, he could very well destroy a pillar and determine the building to collapse, or worse. That wouldn't do.

Instead of that, Roy continued moving in circles, changing directions from time to time. He couldn't risk becoming a sure target. He finally caught a glimpse of Telford, who was closely following his arrhythmic movements. The General's actions became erratic, he wasn't completely sure he really saw the real man or just a reflection.

Telford suddenly got out of cover, in plain sight. Roy snapped his fingers.

XXXXX

_Ten minutes ago, outside of the warehouse_

Edward stood dumbfounded in the back alley. Roy simply pushed him away and disappeared in the smoke. That was it. He had to find Jean, he said, but what good would that do? He didn't even know where he was! Oh, what if...?

He suddenly remembered that, for the past few weeks, Roy had been caring around a small package, which most likely contained some sort of tracking device. That had to be it, why else would he ask him to find Havoc?

Where was technology going these days?!

"Chief?" Speaking of the devil.

"How-"

"No need for this" Riza Hawkeye spoke, pushing the former soldier out of the way. "We need to get those two out of the deposit and restrain River"

"Huh?" Ed made. That guy again? So that was the man... Made sense.

"I've already told Hawk on our way here. The boss told me he might need some ignition gloves in case River, the spy he's been chasing for some time now, would appear. The guy is apparently some sort of terrorist, and might want to destroy the entire capital. Not like the boss will destroy it with snapping his fingers around, but we have the other to blame" Havoc explained and adjusted his woollen scarf. "Damn, it's cold" he said and pulled off his gloves. "Now, I'm gonna freeze my fingers off"

"Shut up and let's go!" Ed exploded and led the way. Looking at each other, Havoc and Hawkeye shrugged. They loaded the guns they always took with them and followed the alchemist.

They entered the thick smoke that surrounded the warehouse. Brushing his automail arm on the walls, Ed found the way and guided the small crew on their path to the door. They found the artificial walls Roy had created and followed the lead to the entrance. They sneaked in, trying not to attract any attention, and it really wasn't that hard – Roy and Telford were playing some disturbed kind of hide-and-seek. Dancing in the dark of the warehouse, flashes of surreal light flickering like candles. Edward's eyes hurt, it was so much light, and so sudden...

And then, it happened. It all fell down.

XXXXX

_Twenty-seven years ago, in a small country cottage_

"Roy! Leave the poor curtain alone!" Amaya called after her son, who was hanging off her brand new curtain. She grabbed him and took him in the kitchen with her, where she was baking a pie. "Mommy, but it was so much fun!" he pouted, making a silly face. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead "Might be, but curtains aren't made for this. They are made to prevent the sun from coming inside"

"Oh... but why the sun wants to..." Roy stopped a bit and then started again "Why does the sun want to enter?"

The mother looked proudly at her almost three years old child, who had just corrected himself. "Light enters everywhere, and there's no reason why" she said, remembering she asked the very same thing her poor mother, so many years ago.

The doorbell rang and Cenric made his way to the door. He was enjoying his day off with his wife and son, who were happily baking a pie together. Roy truly had a sense for cooking; he even made suggestions of what to put in the mixture. He definitely spent too much time with Chris, who was always talking about recipes.

He opened the door to find a gloomy looking Telford. "Brother? What happened?"

"Come with me" he simply said.

"What?"

"I said come with me!" he yelled. Amaya came from the kitchen, closely followed by Roy. "Ford? What are you doing here? Why didn't you call? Where have you been all this time?" she asked sceptically. She clearly stated that he had no place in their house after they got into a big fight.

"Family business" he made, like she wasn't part of the family. She narrowed her eyes and then nodded. "Go, if you have to. But come back in one piece. I won't forgive you, Telford, if something happens to him" she averted and left with her son, who was eyeing the two men suspiciously. The younger Mustang looked at the boy with sorrowful eyes. Roy was a very cute child, very intelligent and creative, easy to love. He'd be such a great man, poor boy... why did he have to be his brother's child?! It was so unfair...

Outside, Cenric asked "Why did you come here?"

"It is Father. He's in trouble"

"Father? How come?"

"Let's go, we have no time" Telford stated and went to the car. They rode for a while, not even bothering to talk to each other, to an old mansion.

"Why are we here?" he looked at the huge house, very well kept. It was an old family friend's property, very well kept. "What are we-"

"Follow me"

The hallway was a complete mess; the once neat and polished wooden floor was full of mud and the walls were dirty – dirty with blood. The trail continued, to the living room, where the owner's body laid lifelessly, with a knife in his broad chest. Not too far away, a woman was crying.

Cenric ran to her, it was his mother. She was tightly holding her husband's hand, who was barely breathing. "No, no..." she was whispering darkly. He barely saw his sister who was clinging to his feet, face blank and staring hard. She was in deep pain.

The eldest brother fell to his knees. "Fa- Dad? Daddy, what... DAD!" he said hoarsely. He felt like he had been running for miles. "Oh, no..."

His father raised his hand and entwined it with his son's. "Cenric... it's not your fault... please... never... never do this to family. You three, my children... you... you only have each other" the old man coughed blood. He drew his last breath in his wife's arms, to whom he said sorry for leaving her so soon.

Cenric stormed out of the building, covered in his father's blood. He really didn't care that he could be seen by anyone. It was his fault. He was the one who doubted the mansion's owner's loyalty. He was a friend and a fellow spy, he shouldn't have turned against them. He sent their father there alone, he told him there couldn't be any problems... and there shouldn't be, he was sure nothing could happen, that it was all his imagination!

"It is your fault" Telford said behind him. Cenric turned, looking at his brother with dead eyes. "I didn't know..."

"It is your fault" he repeated. "It has always been. It is because of you that I couldn't practice my alchemy. It is because of you that they all hate me. It is because of you that the woman I loved turned against me. It is because of you that Roy was born, when he shouldn't have. It is because of you that Father died. IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOURS!" he shouted, fists clenched dangerously.

Cenric widened his eyes. Did he hear that correctly? His beloved brother hated him? He thought they were in better terms... True, Amaya was avoiding him, he just imagined they had some small quarrel and didn't want to fight again. Telford loved his wife? How could he be so blind? Of course he hated him...

His brother spit on the ground and left abruptly. He was boiling with anger. When he was finally at peace with his father, whom he divinised, Cenric had to send him to an early grave. It was always his fault, for the bad luck he was.

Cenric looked at his brother's silhouette, slowly fading in the scenery. He cast a last glance at his father through the window before leaving as well. His father was indeed dead, and it was all his fault.

XXXXX

It all flashed in front of his eyes. Havoc shooting River, his lover being hit in the abdomen by a water string, Riza hurrying to get them out and Roy looking at him like it was the last time he'd see him... and then nothing.

Roy looked inside the fallen building and fell to his knees desperately. He kneed in the fresh snow that was falling inside, not caring about his wounds. They didn't hurt as much as his loss, his Edward who was currently in his tight embrace. He didn't feel anything besides a deep pain deep inside him, somewhere no one could heal him. His heart.

How couldn't he see it before all of this... how?! His uncle's plan was flawless indeed. He took all the measures. The mechanism was so simple, it was laughable. The warehouse was full of gunpowder. Roy concentrated his flames on him, not on the barrels, but that was not it. He used his own powers against himself. Telford only needed his flames to redirect them to some exterior bombs, which were supposed to explode alongside with them. The bombs were connected to a subterranean system, leading directly to the heart of the city- the Central Headquarters, and spreading all over the streets. That would have caused a war, as he made sure to make it look like it was all set by Drachma. And this way he would have also got his remaining family, and set down the business.

Roy discovered his uncle's plans and was sure the city would be attacked on its day, at the end of the year. He told his trusted subordinates about his worries and made sure all the caution was taken. They went to such lengths that they even disabled the whole system. But, in fact, it was all fake, and Telford purposely made it look like they didn't exist. He calculated Roy's action before they even happened.

The only true bombs were those in that warehouse. He knew about Roy's relationship and he also found that he'd take his lover to a restaurant on his birthday. Knowing how his nephew was always in a hurry, he presumed he'd take the way which, by the way, he indeed took, and he lead him directly to the trap. By disabling the system, he activated the real bombs, those who were meant to be Roy's death.

And now, his dearest Edward was there. In his arms, breathlessly, full of burns and deep cuts. He managed to hide Roy from the explosion's range, but was hit with full force.

"No... NO! NO! EDWARD!" Roy screamed. He felt suddenly dizzy, his wound taking the best of him, and fell on the ground, unconscious.

The snow was falling around them, preparing a cold grave for both of them.

* * *

A/N: That's it for now, the next chapter will explain the story gasps I left. Hope you enjoyed and I please don't forget to review/follow/favourite! It keeps me going! Oh, and this story isn't that dark, just needed to make it like this :D

Special thanks to everyone who read, review, followed and favourited. You are all so great and make my day!

See you next time, bye bye!


	10. 10 - Greetings to the wounded

A/N: Mornin', mornin'! Long time (what, two months?) no see! Sorry for the extremely late update, my life's been pretty much a mess for the last few weeks. Sorry again, and thank you very much for the response for this story. Though, wouldn't it be nicer to leave more reviews? *pushing my luck*

Nonetheless, don't forget to leave a review, follow and favorite! It really boosts me up! Thank you for the support, really!

This chapter, it's more like an explanation and, well, taking things a bit easier. A bit. It will be continued in the next one, as usual. As per warnings, same old. I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, only the OCCs.

So, on with the slaughter...

* * *

Chapter 10 – Greetings to the wounded

"Mister Mustang? Mis- MISTER MUSTANG! STOP SHAKING!" the nurse shouted. The doctor grabbed his arm, preventing him from pulling off the needles that connected him to the blood supply and the IV bag next to him. Roy was panting hard and was fighting to move, despite the medical advice.

"Sir, it's alright, just stop struggling!" Realising his surroundings, Roy calmed down and yanked his hand from the doctor's. He hurt everywhere, he found it difficult to breath and he was connected to way too many IVs. Relentlessly, he wiggled his toes and fingers. Okay, he wasn't paralysed, that was obvious. He made some slow movements as to see whether he had any physical damage beside the apparent ones. He was happy to find there was none.

"May I know what is going on and where am I?" he asked gravely, his authoritative-self showing its head.

"You are in a hospital, in the Fuhrer's private room as per his orders. You've been out for almost three days and the operation went smoothly, you should recover very fast. You were urgently brought here after your subordinates... Sir? Is everything alright?" the middle aged doctor demanded, seeing how Roy's pupils suddenly dilated and he covered his mouth, painfully curved down, with his left hand, which surprisingly wasn't covered with any needles.

"Oh no..." he muttered, his dark eyes losing all their shine. He blinked a few times, trying to find the strength to form a few words. Voice cracking a bit, he asked as calm as he could muster "Was I brought alone? Was there anyone else? Blond? Anyone?... Please, tell me..."

The nurse smiled sweetly. "We were informed to not give any details ab-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Roy yelled, panting harder than he should. He once again covered his mouth, faking a cough, a pained sob making its way out instead. "I'm sorry" he muttered to the shocked medical personnel, who backed off after hearing his rage. "But please, tell me if there was anyone else... if he's still alive..."

Looking at the pitiful officer, the doctor sighed. "All we know is that a very injured man was also hospitalised here, but we don't know anything about his current status. I believe he is still unconscious, though we'd be announced if anything happened to him. I believe he went through surgery as well and is recovering, as you also should"

"No, no, I'm fine... I need to see him" Roy replied, a flash of hope in his eyes.

"It's better if you don't, you need to rest" the nurse tried to hold him down, at least verbally, as the General was already preparing to get out of the bed.

"Sir! If you don't sit down, I swear I'll make you sit down for good and don't give a single damn you are eight ranks higher than myself!" a grave feminine voice boomed behind the doctor. None heard the door opening.

Riza Hawkeye stood in front of him with her arms crossed. She had a small patch on her cheek and some other on her arms, but in rest, she looked as good as always. And definitely dangerous.

"Madam, we'd ask you to leave, Mr. Mustang needs rest..."

"Let us alone" Roy ordered, forgetting he wasn't at work. "Please" he added on a second thought. The doctor sighed heavily and exited with the nurse.

"With all due respect, what the hell are you doing, Roy?! Are you trying to kill yourself after they've done everything to prevent you from doing so?! Are you out of your mind?! Dammit!" she scolded and Roy couldn't help but straighten his back and take an official position, as he used to when he was only a mere Major and Generals were ordering him around. His mind immediately realised he was acting irrationally, that the Lieutenant wasn't ordering him anything, but doing her best to stabilise him. For his own good.

"Excuse me, Riza, but I need to know if he's alright... if he didn't... he didn't... It's my fault he was there... It's my fault..." his powerful facade fell, tears falling down his cheeks in rivers. He was not like that, dammit! He didn't cry even when his parents were killed, why did he lose it so easily?

The woman sat on his hospital bed and hugged him tightly. "Easy, Roy, calm down, everything is fine. It's not your fault, and Ed's not dead"

Roy flung open his eyes "He... he's alive?!" He whipped his pathetic tears away. Oh, wait, the doctor said that as well. 'Pull yourself together, stupid' he scolded at himself.

"Yes, he is. The Fuhrer thought it'd be better to not let you know about his condition as he wanted to protect you. He is in very bad shape, but he's a fighter. He'll live"

"Thank you... thank you..." he repeated over and over again, not really knowing who he was thanking.

XXXXX

"Sir, you sure are persistent" the nurse said annoyed by Roy's stubbornness. They were walking down the hall to Ed's saloon after Roy nearly got there on his own. He convinced the doctor let him wonder around, to see if his subordinate was fine, or else he'd probably grow mushrooms if he didn't move... Exasperated, the doctor allowed him to get where the hell he wanted, exact words. Roy had been awake for around five hours and already everyone wanted him out.

"Perhaps, but persistence is how I got here" Roy explained, a bit proud. The woman eyed him dubiously, and he added immediately "Professionally" She nodded, opening her mouth and then closing it. His persistence got him very far indeed – free hospital bed and all.

"Are you family or something?" she asked, not knowing why he insisted to see the boy that much.

"Kind of... my subordinates are my family" he replied, not sure if he should say the "boy" was his lover. Not the best idea, really. Definitely not.

Roy entered the dark recuperation room. Something he couldn't see was beeping insistently, and a hospital bed with a small bundle of blankets on it enthroned in the middle of the room, heavily connected to the perfusion system. The bundle moved a bit, and the raven haired alchemist hurried to take the flesh hand that stood limply on the bedside.

The nurse smiled to him and offered him a chair. "You can stay as long as you want, just try not to stay in anyone's way, Sir. If you don't mind, of course" she said, but got no reply. Roy's eyes were transfixed on Ed's badly injures body, full of stiches, cuts, bruises and burn marks. The nurse sighed and left the room.

Roy stared for hours at Edward, talking to him, apologising, telling him that he missed him, to get better. He knew the danger was gone, that no one was going to harm them, but the trauma remained. He was scared that he was caught almost off-guard, he wasn't prepared, how the hell was he supposed to know that psychopath connected the whole city to fake bombs that were the triggers of the real ones, under a deposit, to kill just one man on his birthday... by the way, were was his uncle? He hoped he was dead and perhaps pulverized, if possible. No, even better – nearly dead and being eaten by dogs! Wait, there were no strays on the streets of the capital... "Whatever" he suspired.

Sighing, Roy moved his eyes back to his beloved. Yes, he realised that. Seeing Edward almost dead on a hospital bed made him see things very differently. The teen stood by his side when the situation wasn't tremendously pleasurable – when they were pretty much undesirable to the state, fighting ghosts and trying to prove the whole world they were fundamentally wrong about those who lead them. He supported him when ill rumours regarding Mustang's situation during the confrontation that shook the entire Amestris and tried to make the better of them, and then accepted to continue working with him even after he completed his goal. And he became some sort of family he never had – the one he could go to after a long day of utterly boring paperwork and talk about nonsense and just hang with in a bar in the middle of the night without complaining, just listening to his problems. Edward became more important to Roy than he liked to admit.

Without realising, he started squeezing Ed's hand harder than he intended. He looked at his pale face with caring eyes – he'll be alright. He had to, after all, he'd just found the thing that kept him going in life and lose it just like that? It didn't work like that. Not for Roy, at least.

He was staring so hard that he could no longer see. He couldn't focus his eyes and he was squeezing the barely warm hand even harder. He almost jumped when he heard a small hoarse voice "D'ya 'elly wanna break mah arm, bast'rd?"

Roy got his focus back, his black eyes sparkling with emotion "Edward...?"

"If you'd only see your face" The blond tried to get up, feeling his voice return, but a horrible pain kept him down. "What the hell happened, Roy? Roy? Mustang!"

The black haired general shrugged. He spaced out, too excited to see Ed alive and well to actually listen to what he was saying. He scratched his head. "Well, you kind of... exploded?"

"No shit" Fullmetal replied. "Hey, how long have you been h-" he abruptly stopped and coughed hard. His lungs were hurting badly.

"Don't speak, you were badly injured and you had some internal haemorrhages or something. Damn, I wasn't really listening to the doctor, but I remember he said you were recovering pretty fast, and that's a good sign" Roy offered and stroked his pale cheek. Ed nodded and waited for a bit to regain his breath. He then said with the look of a man with a mission "You also look like shit, ya know?"

Roy chuckled. "Give the man the opportunity to say something and that's what you get. Yeah, I know I look bad. But nonetheless handsome" The blond alchemist forced his facial muscles to form a smile. The older man ruffled his hair gently and covered him better with the blanket. Slowly, the younger fell asleep again. He was tired.

Thinking for a second, Roy called for the nurse and informed her that Ed was once again conscious and snoring soundly.

XXXXX

_Three days ago, at the explosion sight_

Telford watched in shock how his plan was being ruined right in front of his eyes. His plan was indeed to kill Roy and, why not, that blondie pet of his, but he wasn't supposed to bring the military with him! And they were supposed to die there, from the explosion – not to harm him as well! Talking about bad plans...

Edward managed to trap him inside the building right before the bomb went off. River saw how the boy covered his nephew and saved him from the flames' rage, and saw them full of blood on the floor, but they looked like they were still breathing. He would've cut their necks if the reinforcements hadn't come, the other two soldiers must have called them. And that stupid man who shot him!

Hawkeye and Havoc asked through radio for some help from the other members of the Mustang crew, as the operation was supposed to only be known by those who could come in hand during the General's research. They truly didn't expect for the Fuhrer to come in person and check with the wounded officers. He ordered the doctors he brought to take them to the hospital in one of his private wings, and take care of them with great responsibility. Seeing his grand-daughter's pained stare, her clothes caked in dried blood and cheeks stained with tears, he hugged her and took her to his car to talk to her.

Telford watched the scene with little interest, as he was desperate to get out of the debris. It was the end of him if the military found him. He struggled to get out and ran madly after he got to the street. He moved his legs faster than he thought he could, and then collapsed somewhere in the sewers. He fought to catch his breath and then he ripped of some parts of his clothing and improvised some bandages to stop the bleeding of his wounds.

He couldn't stay there forever.

XXXXX

Roy was comfortably stretching his legs. He was still by Fullmetal's side and didn't leave it unless he really needed to. He felt bad as it was pretty much his fault, hell, they could have both died, but now it truly didn't matter. They were quite fine, with some nice forming scars all over their bodies, but alive.

The only problem at bay was the missing terrorist, or whatever he called himself. There were two possibilities – he was either dead, but with no corpse it was hard to determine that, or he was alive, and that sounded more plausible than he actually wanted. Why did he have to be born in such a twisted family?

"What are you thinking so hard?" Ed asked, voice less raw than before. The long hours of rest truly helped. The older man smiled at the boy and shook his head "Nothing, really"

"It should've surprised me if you were thinking, indeed" the blond mocked chuckling under his breath. Roy looked at him with fake annoyance and then pocked his nose. "Watch it, Fullmetal"

"Whatever, old man"

Outside the door, a big ruckus started out of nowhere. Roy slowly got up to see what was causing the noise. Not like he really needed to stand up, as the whole ordeal moved right in front of him, in the room.

"Please, madam, don't come in without permission!" the exasperated nurse said to the arguing woman.

"Do you know who I am? This is a direct offence to-"

"You are as subtle as a train indeed" Roy spoke matter of fact like and kindly asked the nurse to let them be. The poor doctors, they truly wanted the pair out of the hospital as fast as physically possible.

"Mira, sweetheart, what brings you to our humble establishment? Oh, hello, Miles" Roy welcomed them like nothing happened, like Ed wasn't connected to IVs and himself didn't have a big patch on his neck.

They've looked worse than that, alright.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I came for your birthday to celebrate it in a hospital? I didn't even have the time to beat the crap out of my brother at my family's mansion! And you promised lots of drinks, where the fuck are those?!" the blonde soldier made angrily, despite herself.

Looking clueless at the two commanding officers, Edward asked "How come you are here, Major General? Weren't you up there, in the North?"

The woman turned her stare for a few moments to watch those golden orbs and then returned to Roy, who was in an amused state. "As I said, why the hell do I get to know about this the last, when it was part of my assignment? And we had a deal, remember?"

The raven haired man rose to his feet, his now dangerous aura towering over the blond soldier. Of course, Miles was unfazed and he took a more comfortable position on a chair. "As I also said, if your memory didn't falter of your old age, our deal was different" Roy said.

"Age my ass! And it was not. And adding other parties?"

"Unintentional"

"Olivier, I believe you shouldn't-" Miles unenthusiastically tried to stop the quarrel between Mustang and Armstrong. Like those could be stopped. They were arguing like they were alone, swearing like the pirates from the distant sea and almost jumping at each other's necks. They actually forgot why they were arguing, as at the moment, the 'discussion' was heated around how Roy destroyed the woman's clothes a few years after graduation, at a party.

"-like that fire ball suddenly erupted out of nowhere!" Olivier retorted. Roy didn't waste his time and responded "My, and you so cared when you were down on your knees! You remember the man, don't you"

Edward looked confused at his lover and the raging soldier. Miles totally gave up on stopping them and he looked like it wasn't the first time he experienced those two bickering over nothing. He was simply looking into a medical brochure about the effects of different drugs.

The boy couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

After more of Roy's remark, the woman exploded "Like hell I was, should I remind you what you did for it?!"

"And you are so much better, should I remind you?"

"Don't you dare! And we were in the very same shit, don't you even think better of yourself" Olivier averted. Roy snorted. "You put me into that shit, as you call it, not myself!"

"Not my problem for you being such a whore!" she accused.

"Whore? I think you missed the right person. I'm not the one who slept with my-"

"Like you don't do-"

"OH SHUT UP, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Edward suddenly yelled, coughing hard. "Damn, for the past few months I've swore more than in my whole life because of idiots, especially you, Mustang! Get your fucking argue outside!"

Miles agreed "Indeed. This isn't why we came here, Olivier"

"Bah, Mustang, it's all your fault"

"We share it" Armstrong shrugged at that and pulled a chair to sit next to Edward. "So, Elric, how's life?" Ed looked at her dumbly. "Huh?" She shook her head and cleaned her throat. Obviously, the boy didn't know about the excessive pleasure they got from screaming at each other. That was what friends were for, after all.

"Well, I managed to find out what happened, or at least most of it. Nasty thing, don't you say?"

"It wasn't planned" Roy stated.

She turned to look at Roy. "Of course not, but there's no need to prolong this. So, straight to business - he's alive. My men caught glimpse of him, but they lost him fast. Pretty wounded, don't know if he survived though" the Major General explained and the raven alchemist nodded.

"However, it seems the operation had to be more grandiose than it turned up to be. Even more than what you told me you suspected. Apparently, he wanted to combine your alchemy with his to create an electromagnetic shield between you and the world. Pretty much like the atomic technology the government was talking about a few years ago, but with no regard of the physics laws. Appears he was the head of an organisation, but we took care of the details" Miles added and smiled at Edward. Though he didn't show it, the boy had no idea what they were talking about and felt rather scared.

"I understand. I already spoke to Grumman, he will provide us with back-up, all we need is to capture him. As you can see, I can-"

"No, you can't, Roy. Neither you nor your subordinates. It's the North's problem, we got you involved enough. Anyway, what would you do against a maniac?" Olivier asked, eyes full of concern.

"An injured maniac, who wanted to destroy everything because of me. It's extremely cliché and overrated, but that's the reality. It's my business as it is yours"

"And you can really do some damage with a dislocated shoulder. I doubt any of us can do anything. Let's leave it to the Major General, she knows what to do" Edward countered. It was plainly stupid to go against that guy, no matter if he was injured or not, if you were in a rough state as well. Who knew, maybe the organisation Miles mentioned wasn't really wiped off! What if he brought his gang with him? What if...

"We'll see about that" Roy said simply. "Mira, may I talk to you in private for a moment?" She nodded and cast a quick glance at Miles. He nodded and returned to Edward.

"How do you feel, Fullmetal?" he asked, looking on the medical paper attached to the bed.

"Better, I guess. But, tell me Major, what are you two doing in Central? I thought you had work to do"

"The Major General requested some time off to spend with her family for the holidays"

"And you?"

"As well" Ed watched his features. The dark coloured skin was surprisingly soft looking for a soldier, the small strings of facial hair neatly cut into their usual shape, his snow white hair combed up and tied in a short tight ponytail. The man lowered his red eyes and lifted his eyeglasses off the top of his head to clean the lenses with a small cloth.

He looked like someone who wanted to avoid answering a question. But there was no question yet, though there was no need for it. "I see..." Edward made, realising something he oversaw. Of course he noticed how close the Ishbalan and his commanding officer were, and now he knew what a 'secret relationship' meant, as he also was involved in one.

"I doubt it was the holiday vacation you expected" the blond joked, and the normally stiff soldier smiled. "From my experience so far, this was the most uneventful holiday so far"

The boy lifted his golden eyebrows and chuckled "I truly don't want to know what happened"

XXXXX

"Winry! Where did you put the candles?" Alphonse shouted after his fiancée.

"Aren't they in the living room?"

"No!" A short pause. "Ah, never mind. Thanks, Den" the sandy blond man said as he took the red candles packet from the dog's mouth. He patted the loyal animal on its head. What a good boy.

Winry came with another big package in her arms. The Winter Holidays were so soon, they needed to decorate the house. Pinako was loudly humming some old drunk songs from the kitchen and was baking a cake.

"Hey, hey, don't come in!" Al warned from the living room's door. "Not until I finish"

"Oh, please, I want to see what you've done! I'm so curious!"

"You can survive another few minutes. Let me finish what I've started and you can look around all you want"

"Fine" the girl pouted. Secret decorations were so much fun and a pain in the same time. She wanted to know what Al was doing in the living room! Trying to dismiss her curiosity, she asked "Have you spoken to Ed? Is he coming home?"

"I don't know, I haven't talked to him. But he promised he'll come, so he'll come"

"Well, I'll call to check on him" she suggested and went for the living room's door. Al waved her hand away. "We have a phone in the study, too"

XXXXX

Kain Fuery was reading the transcript of an utterly boring conversation between two corrupted officials from a God forsaken country. He yawned a few times and decided the discussion made absolutely no sense and it definitely didn't pose any threats to Amestris' interests. Frustrated, he tossed the papers on the desk and looked at the now beeping panel in front of his eyes. Why was Fullmetal's office phone ringing?

Sighing, he connected the direct line to the hospital's room. Instructions were instructions; his job was to make sure the disastrous operation wasn't found by anyone. Almost anyone to be more precise, as he was the one who informed Major General Armstrong, at Hawkeye's orders. Roy didn't need to know about it.

At the hospital, Edward, who was chatting with Miles and was laughing at his stories, picked up the phone a bit surprised. "Yes?" Did they have a phone in the room? Whatever.

"Hey, Ed! How are you?" an excited female voice retorted. Winry? How did she know he was – wait, she didn't.

"Err... yeah, fine, thanks. You?"

"Great, decorating the place. Why haven't you called us? I haven't heard you in such a long time!"

"Argh, work, you know. Takes a lot of time, sorry"

"Yeah, no problem. Are you coming to spend the holidays with us? Ah, let me give your brother on the phone. Hear from ya!" Winry spoke fast and ran to Pinako, who was calling her to finish assembling the cake she left in the kitchen.

"Hello, brother" Al saluted. "How are you?"

'Really, how am I supposed to tell him that I'm in hospital?' Edward thought. Instead, he replied "Fine, as usual. Work and some extra work"

"Hah, the General's working you very hard. You should take a break, you always work"

"Neah, I'm fine"

"Well, I hope you haven't forgotten about the promise you made! Winry has been pestering me for the past few hours, I'm trying to arrange the house how we used to when we were kids. Just how you love it. You'll come at the month's end, right?"

Who was he to lie to his brother, the one who had been stuck in a suit of armour because of him? He would never lie to him. "Of course"

But he still lied. He knew very well it was impossible to recover from his injures in less than two weeks for going home to celebrate some uninteresting holiday he wasn't even aware of its purpose with his family. Nonetheless, it was strictly his business with Roy, and he wasn't going to worry Al. He didn't deserve it. It was better to not honour an invitation than to make him worry. It was better to neglect a promise to his only remaining family to keep his perfect image safe.

It wasn't fair. Nothing was.

"Great. Don't forget to call us from time to time, yes? We've been worried"

"No need. I'll talk to you later, bye!" Ed replied quickly and hung up, not wanting to hear his brother say good bye. It was the first time he ever lied to his brother.

Miles patted his flesh hand and smiled like he understood what was going inside the alchemist's head. "You made the right choice" With that, he left him alone with his thoughts. Yes, it was the best thing he could do, given the facts. The man, despite the darkness of his skin, could sometimes be as white as an angel.

XXXXX

Roy returned an hour later. Ed stood calmly on the bed, reading a book. His face clearly read 'guilty', but he didn't want to push things. He knew the blond had been alone for some time, as Miles decided it was better to leave him with his own thoughts. He knew he needed some time alone.

"Hello, sunshine" Roy said with a sly smile and kissed his forehead lovingly.

"Sunshine my ass. What were the Major and Armstrong doing here? You seemed quite... acquainted?"

"Why, are you jealous, Ed?" Mustang teased and poked his cheek. Edward waved off his hand and ran his fingers through his unruly hair. Actually, where was his hair tie? He needed one.

Roy fought in his mind the urge to jump on the man right on spot. He looked so cute, with his red nose and lowered eyebrows. "As if, bastard. I don't care what you do with your life, but don't mix others"

'Lies' Edward thought. He cared. He did. He shamefully got used to caring for Roy. And it killed him from the inside that the man hid so many things from him and still wouldn't say them out loud. He felt... betrayed. Roy knew everything about his past, and Ed didn't know a thing about Roy's. And he had no excuse to tell him that it was for his safety. If he knew that psychopath was most likely a former alchemist (as he guessed), he would've came prepared. Hell, he wouldn't have let the situation get so out of hand.

"I need some explaining, Roy. Why can't I know what's happening? Everyone knows, even Armstrong, and, by the way, how come you know her so well? What did you talk to her? What's North's problem? WHAT IS GOING ON?" Ed nearly shouted. His speech went higher and higher in tonality. His face was beet red and his fists were clenched, making him look like an angry tomato. If the facts given were slightly different, Roy would've considered it cute. But one shall not put cute and Fullmetal in the same sentence. It wasn't... natural.

Sighing, Roy took his former place and scratched his head dumbly. 'No chance to say it doesn't concern him' he thought. No such things as letting the matter go. "You see, Edward... The Major General and I are good friends from back when I was in the academy. She was my senior and she helped me a great deal when my superiors were pushing me around. That's how we are related and don't worry, we merely enjoy pissing each other off"

Ed drummed his fingers on the mattress of the bed. He hated that he needed to stay in bed, it was so uncomfortable to have your movements restricted. "And the 'assignment'? You've been beating around the bush for too long, and I'm not some stupid girl who just sits and waits for her lover to return home and doesn't ask questions"

Roy smirked deviously. "So I'm you lover now?"

"Off topic. Answer" Ed demanded impatiently. Roy sighed and patted the blond's shoulder.

Just in time, the doctor entered and smiled to Edward. "Time for your check up, Mister Elric"

XXXXX

Roy was spinning on a wheeled chair. How come he never did this? It was so much fun.

His IV was taken off two days ago, and he was due to be out of the hospital as soon as possible. He'd already stayed in the facility for ten days and he was in a better shape than before. Edward was recovering nice and steady, but was still shaking on his feet. The wounds took their toll on his body, he ached everywhere and his abused skin looked more purplish than ever, but he was a fighter – he didn't die when he played with the gods, he won't die from a few scratches. And some burn marks, and deep cuts, and a few broken ribs... but he was healing, at least.

Less said about his mental status. It was so frustrating that Roy only told him that the guy who attacked them was working alone and they knew each other for some time. Ed suspected they were related more than this and he vowed he will pull the information from Roy. But not now. Another time.

Roy continued spinning. The centrifuge force was such a great discovery – he felt so lightheaded and relaxed. He still hurt, his own wounds were much lesser than Ed's, but there were no maid's dream. They hurt like any other wounds.

He was currently thinking on a good way of telling Ed his life story and omitting some parts he preferred not talking about. The ordeal was taking too long, he could just spit it out and everyone would be happy.

No, not one would be happy. He'd only worry Ed, or he'd get some mockery for his stupid fears. Whatever it was, Armstrong's news weren't that exciting.

She told him fair and square – the state was no longer endangered by the freak, as the diplomats already made sure to declare Telford undesirable both in Drachma and Amestris, and all connection to him and any state were forcibly cut. The organisation that supported him was eradicated by the north agents, so he had no back up. That meant only one thing – it was his responsibility now. What the female general said in front of Edward was meant to only settle the boy down and not worry him further.

The only problem Roy had was the reason why his uncle despised him so much. If he were to point at something he did, besides being born, that is, Roy couldn't find anything. He was as pure and innocent as snow. A very dirty one, but still he did nothing wrong, or so he believed. The memory of his parent's death was still very much alive within him and he made a purpose out of reminding himself every day that they were killed by his own kin.

He wondered how his father would have seen the situation. Would he kill his brother?

No. He no longer was his father's brother. Or his uncle. He was a murderer.

But then so was Roy.

XXXXX

_Twenty-five years ago_

He rubbed his hands absently. They burnt, yet they were so cold. The blood was long washed, but its touch remained. Telford flopped his back on the pillows, he felt so exhausted.

No. He was so wrong. The blood was still there. It was in the water he used to wash himself, in his breath, in his hair, in his mind, in his soul. Foolishness. He looked at a small photo with its glass broken and he could see the two people he killed and their son. He kept that photo he received from the proud father when his little nephew turned one. He just stared at it, not really looking at it. He wondered – why did he actually murder his brother and sister-in-law?

Oh, that was it. Hate. So much hate.

He took a small envelope from the table. It was the letter which informed him he wasn't accepted in the National Alchemist Program. It was the letter that announced his failure. His ruin. He couldn't blame himself for his failure, he did everything he could. His father's influence over the military was probably the reason why he failed, and his brother was the sole reason why he didn't make it too far. He got in the Academy, but he wasn't allowed to finish it properly, by entering the state's army.

Nonsense, he knew very well why he ended their lives. Cenric was the reason why he couldn't practice his alchemy. He was the reason his father was killed because of his poor information. Not like he cared for his father that much, but he wanted to be seen as a human being, not some useless kid who had no place in the world. As for Amaya... well, she refused his love. He felt betrayed by her marriage. Yes, he had plenty of reasons.

But the boy? Roy, what did he do? Nothing. He was just a child, innocent and pure as snow. Not like him, who was dirtied by his crime. What was done, was done. And the child deserved it. He'd turn exactly like them anyway. 'I really made him a service' Telford thought and grinned.

He was a murderer, as they wanted him to be, his perfect brother and his father... He was what they made him to be.

XXXXX

"Sir, from tomorrow on you're allowed to leave the facility" the doctor said as he finished his consultation on Roy. He grew accustomed to the officer's strange demeanour around his subordinate and actually understood him. Without his assistants, he wouldn't be able to work properly. Of course, he smelled something fishy in their closeness, but maybe they went through many things together. In a way, he felt sorry that the man had to leave rather soon. His company was indeed refreshing.

Roy nodded and replied "Thank you for your hard work. I shall see to my leave" The doctor smiled and appraised him once again for his fast recovery, then left the room. The Flame laid back on the hospital's standard bed and mused to himself. He sort of enjoyed his stay. He didn't have to work as much as usual (Hawkeye still supplied him with his precious paperwork, but a huge amount less than what he was used to) and he was having great conditions without wasting a cenz. 'I'm such a freeloader, Aunt would be proud'

*KNOCK*

'What do they want now?!' he stood up to open the door. In front of him, a short military clad man with white whiskers smiled beamingly.

"Why, hello, dear Roy!" Grumman saluted and handed Roy a small pink horse. "So you won't get bored" the elder explained grinning wider. "I see you're looking better and better, my boy!"

"Err? Well, thank you, Sir" Roy looked incredulously at the plush. He was so past the age of getting stuffed animals, but it was a gift from the Fuhrer himself, right? He should be proud! The heart of the nation brought him a token of his appreciation! Mustang threw a quick glance at the smiling Grandpa who was ruling one of the most powerful nations and shook his head. 'Senile Crook' he thought grimly.

Grumman sat in the only available chair. He entwined his fingers. He meant business.

Not really feeling too comfortable in the hospital gown, Roy paced to his bed and jumped on the mattress. That bed was a bit too tall even for him, who wasn't exactly that short, certainly not like... 'No, no, work now, fun later' he reminded himself.

"So, Roy, I'm glad to see you back in shape" Grumman repeated his previous statement. He poked at his glasses and leaned forward. "Are you back for more?"

Of course. Why would the man care that much for his health without any hidden interests?

"Always" Roy nodded and crossed his arms.

"Perfect. I'm terribly sorry to have to send you straight into action after everything that happened, but I truly don't like how things turned out. I don't accuse you of anything, God forbid, but I think things are looking up. You might get some nice points if you finish what you've started amiably"

"I see... but don't tell me, your Excellency, are you planning to retire? So full of life and already eager to let go?" the alchemist showed a small smile and rubbed his head, trying to look careless.

"Neah, not yet, and cut this 'Excellency' foolishness! But Roy, you need to make people like you more, to see you acting for their good. It's high time to make some better impression around here. However, before you start dreaming of wearing some more stars, we have some other more urgent matters at hand" the old man straightened his back and suddenly chuckled "I didn't believe that I got to see the day when my best General plays with a pink plush" Roy abruptly threw the animal aside. "You were saying... Sir?" he offered.

"Yes, yes, no need for rash actions. As I was saying, it seems to me that we've lost our old friend"

"Indeed, and I'm deeply sorry. I believe that we'll catch him and we shall send his to justice and..."

"Dispose of him, Roy" Grumman put it simply.

"Excuse me?"

"You've heard that right. I've already prepared the needed papers as to legally state that you defended yourself, so that'd make you a hero no matter if you are the one to finish the job or not"

"I don't think I need to be made a hero because of that"

"You already are, after all that happened. And saving the country for the third time is even better"

"What I did was not saving the country" Roy said firmly and rose to his feet. "I killed many to reach to my status, and I don't want to be appraised for murdering my own uncle, out of all people"

"Killing, Roy, not murdering" Grumman said and looked in Roy's eyes. "Well, whatever you choose to do, I need him out of the scenery. He is a nuisance and started to stand in your way, and I can't tolerate that"

"Of course" Mustang nodded with a stern expression. The foxy Grandpa softened and put his arm on his protégé's shoulder. "So, Roy, tell me, how's our little Fullmetal?"

'Not you too, please' Roy wanted to bash his head in a wall. Why was everyone sniffing around his own business? And why was always a discussion about killing his uncle finishing with how was the boy?! Where is the common sense these days?

"I believe he is well"

Grumman smirked and lifted his snowy eyebrows up on his wrinkled forehead. "Is that so?"

"Yes" Roy gritted his teeth.

"Fine, fine, boy, don't roast me yet! But I'm happy to see you finally stop at someone, it was about time! I remember I was the same when I encountered my dear Lysa, oh, such a good fine lady..."

Bash his head in a wall? No, what Roy really wanted was to strangle someone. How the hell did this man, this old and nice man knew about his affair?! And what was his problem, anyway?

"I seem not to understand what you are implying, Sir"

"Well, I could tell you what you are supposed to imply, but I'm sure you're not so new into-"

"Oh please!" Roy made disgusted. Another one to tell him how to fuck his lover and he will shoot himself. At least, this wasn't as bad as his aunt, when she started telling him that she thinks that sex between men might be better than the normal one.

"Fine, fine, Roy. But take care. I want to see you in that long uniform, not headless. Though I'm sure you can handle everything quite well. Good luck, my boy. Can't wait to hear about our friend, the River" Grumman waved his hand goodbye and left the room with a wink.

'Argh! What's everyone's problem! The old crook should take some bodyguards, maybe they'll lock him somewhere and let me be! Sheesh!' He looked at the pink stuffed horse who was blindly staring at him with its black round plastic eyes. "Not you too, freaking horse!" he sighed exasperated and lopped on the bed. He looked back at the horse and took him into his arms and stroked the bubble-gum pink hair. A small sticker glued itself to his fingers. "Naturally" he whispered and smiled.

What a tasteless man.

XXXXX

Edward looked around in the room. He didn't really understand why he had to stay in Roy's former reserve and not in his previous one. It was something with him not needing to reside at intensive care any longer; he didn't listen to the doctor. He looked at the bags of nutriments that were still by his side. 'Why am I still feed with needles?!' he suddenly started coughing badly, and his whole body tensed in pain. 'Ah, yes. That's why'

That morning, Roy left the hospital, much to his chagrin. He had to return to work, boring, oh boring work, back to paying taxes and buying food. Not like Ed minded, no, it was better without the annoying raven haired officer, who was only pestering him and cuddling him and asking him how he felt... bah, he enjoyed the other's company. Now, staying in Roy's former room didn't help to his cause.

He could always blame it on boredom.

The blond turned slightly on the bed. It was comfortable enough and it smelled very good. Fresh beddings, unlike how it was in other hospitals. But it smelled faintly of that bastard, that enticing smell of fresh cologne and burn. He hugged his pillow and sniffed it. He insisted to keep the same pillow as the General. It smelled so good... smelled like home.

Home... what was Roy doing now? He should be resting at home, perhaps eating, given the hour. Drinking a small glass of high quality whiskey and watching the fireplace. Reading a good book and listening to fancy music.

Home...

He wanted home. Where Roy was.

Home...

'SHIT! My brother! How am I going to explain that I'll miss this holiday as well?'

He punched the pillow lightly. "Damn it, Roy"

XXXXX

Two days after leaving the hospital, Roy returned to work. He had so much work he practically swam in a lake of papers, and things didn't look up for him.

He visited Ed daily at the hospital and learnt that the boy should be out in a few days. Though he won't be returning to his extremely exciting job anytime soon, as he was still weak after the hard medication he was put on.

Roy smiled a little inside. He couldn't wait for that moment, when he'd finally be able to hold his blond hot head and... well, do whatever they weren't allowed by morals to do in a hospital. Not like any of them cared about morals, but some decency didn't kill anyone.

"Sir? Sign here as well" Hawkeye deadpanned.

"Yes, Lieutenant"

XXXXX

Roy paced around in his house enthusiastically. He lifted the gramophone's needle and closed the lid over the disk he had been playing like a maniac for the past few days. It was his gift from Ed, and he loved it with all his might. The songs were beautiful, so sad yet so upraising, giving him the impression he wasn't alone at all.

He closed his overcoat and left the mansion. He intended to visit Ed at the hospital that night. He only wanted to spend the night with the teen, just lay in each other's arms with little care of the world. They deserved that, after the mess they've been through.

He bought some pricey chocolate and a bottle of champagne and headed straight to the medical facility. It was the boy's last day in hospital; it called for some celebration. He opened the hospital's entrance and smiled to the receptionist. "Why, good evening, Mister Mustang!" Roy nodded his salute and jumped the stairs to Ed's private room.

XXXXX

_An hour ago_

Edward turned the page of his book and yawned, exhaustion catching up with him. It wasn't pleasurable to be on medication and bed ridden, he felt so helpless and useless.

He felt a bit like Mustang in rain, he mused.

He brushed the bangs off his face and reached for the phone on the nightstand. He should announce Al he won't be able to come home in Resembool that year. Again. Guilt crept up on him, but he couldn't make his brother worry. He dialled the number he knew by heart and gulped.

"Rockbell Automail"

"Hello, brother" Ed said strangled.

"Oh, big brother! Didn't hear from you in a while! How are you? When are you coming, we're waiting for you!"

Ed held his breath. "About that, Al... you know I truly want to come over, but I simply can't. You see, work-"

"Yes, brother, I understand. You have work. We understand. But please at least try to call us more often, we sometimes think you might've died in who knows what mission" Al replied, not letting his hurt get to his sibling.

"Thank you so much, Al. I'll make up to you soon. As soon as I can take some days off, I'm at your door. That's a promise" the alchemist added hopefully.

"Alright. Work hard, and hear from you soon"

"Deal" Edward retorted and hung off. He pressed himself on the hard therapeutic mattress and buried his face behind his hands.

'I lied to him again...'

XXXXX

He looked around in the hospital, walking fast. Reserve forty-five, third floor, Fuhrer's parlour. He expertly got past the few guards that were securing the section. It was so easy to outsmart them, especially when the human body was so easy to snap or stab... He soundlessly opened the double doors and entered the private quarters. He chose the forth room on the left. He opened the final door and got inside.

He grinned. "Hello, dear"

XXXXX

_Five minutes later_

It smelled of blood. Fresh blood. And it was horribly cold, a big window was opened at the third floor. Roy left the small gifts fall from his hands and paced up faster. He heard the bottle break in tiny pieces, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He opened the double doors that separated the private section from the rest of the hospital. There, at the end of the corridor, three guards were laying in a crimson pool, lifeless on the sterile floor. Roy started running. Something shinny erected from the guards' stained chests. He blindly snapped his fingers, melting everything that was made out of iced water.

That was plainly stupid. Everything was so expected, it literally hurt. So disgustingly predictable.

"Damn you" he cursed and forcefully opened the final door.

XXXXX

_Less than two minutes ago_

Edward woke up startled. His breath was strangled, like his lungs weren't able to hold the air he was desperately trying to assimilate. He felt dizzy, and something was restraining him. He heard someone talking, but he couldn't distinguish the words over the sound of blood rushing to his head. A firm grip on his neck prevented him from moving around, and it was tightening steadily.

He opened his eyes and couldn't see anything. He was buried under the thick blankets, the heat making him dizzy. The extra layers were forcefully removed; the cold air froze him on his spot. There was little surprise for the blond, but his assailant was rather surprised.

"What luck, I'd be damned"

But then his vision blurred.

* * *

A/N: That's for now, folks. Please, don't forget to review, follow and favourite or whatever it can be done (are there any other options?) Thaaaaank you so much for your support, and special thanks to all of you who took their time to read, review, follow, favourite or, again, whatever.

Hope you enjoyed. Bye, bye!


	11. 11 - Welcome to the family

A/N: Morning, sunshines! New chapter as the story is moving on. It's shorter than usual, but I felt it was the best moment to end where I've left it. A combination of violence and fluff is the warning for this chapter, and, as usual, I don't own anything besides the plot and the invented characters, that is. Thank you very much for reading and please don't forget to leave a review/follow/favourite. I hope you'll enjoy!

P.S: Thank you very much BlueIsTheColourOfOurPlanet for pointing out my mistake when I wrote Roy's rank, I changed it right now. It felt so natural I totally didn't notice, heh :)

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 11 – Welcome to the family

Edward looked up, his heart stopping for a second. The eyes he saw were disturbing, so big and bloodshot, pure adrenaline rushing through them. They were the eyes of a mad man, a psychopath, someone he didn't want to see.

And they looked excruciatingly familiar.

Telford was taken aback by the one he found on the bed. He didn't expect to see Roy's little pet, he was so sure that it was his nephew's room. Perhaps they moved him? He was too preoccupied with the guards' movements and schedule to check if the officer was still in his room or even in the hospital at all.

However, it wasn't that bad. He could easily kill the fragile boy or, perhaps smarter, he could use him against Roy and get them both faster. Great plan. 'I must be some sort of genius' he appraised himself, not entirely sure if there was anything to praise.

He looked at the boy's face. It looked drained and pale, still sick after the long convalescence, but there was a fire he couldn't explain in those burning sun eyes. They were so passionate and full of anger; he quite understood what Roy saw in the kid. Quite feisty, he had to be. Maybe it was better to keep the blond for a while before any other actions.

Ed blinked hard, his eyes stinging. He grabbed the first thing he could reach and pushed it against Telford's torso with a force he doubted he could muster under normal circumstances.

XXXXX

Roy opened the door forcefully, making it fly sideways. He stumbled on his feet, but got up fast. It was surprisingly dark, the only light being made by a small beeping machine he didn't know what was used for.

He felt deaf. He couldn't even hear his own breath, only the blood pooling in his ears. However, praise his regained vision, as the image on the floor was one to behold – Telford Mustang, the great Drachmann spy, the alchemist known as River, was on his knees in front of Edward. It was so pure and vile and disturbingly beautiful, like the very image of sin, the tiny trickles of blood colouring a monochrome canvas.

That disturbing.

Telford fell backwards, clenching at his chest. Edward rose to his feet and cleaned his face of the blood that poured from his nose. The bastard punched him hard, didn't he? He stumped, a look of sheer confusion plastered on his young face. But it passed quick enough, and was replaced by an inhuman determination.

Telford was panting hard. It hurt so bad... he looked down at his torso. A long and rigid needle, a bloody sodium hydroxyl supply needle, was painfully inserted very close to his heart and most likely pierced his left lung. The liquid was still flowing through the canal, and it probably entered his system as well.

With lots of effort, he created some strings that separated him momentarily from Edward. The teen simply clapped his hands and cut the thin ice that poorly attempted to hurt him. He transformed his automail arm in his signature blade and pushed forward.

So much for surprise attacks in hospitals.

XXXXX

_Eight years ago, on the East warfront_

Roy looked at the scared man that was weakly pointing an empty gun at him. No, what was in front of him was no man; he couldn't be older than fifteen years old. The boy was protecting with his own body a small child, about five years old. His skin was black like the night and his eyes were red like the fire and he was trembling. He was shaking in his boots, or, better phrased, on his toes. He was barefoot, and his clothes were ragged and dirty.

However, what he saw in those crimson orbs was mortifying rage, anger, hatred. All for him.

Closing his eyes, Roy snapped his fingers. He couldn't watch, the sound and smell was too much for him anyway.

"Having fun, Mustang?" Kimblee shouted, laughing maniacally at the sight of the carnage.

Yes. Fun, wasn't it? 'Much fun' Roy thought as he removed himself from the scene at a storming pace, not being able to feel his damn feet moving.

...

Back in his tent, the raven alchemist changed his filthy shirt. He threw it aside like something unholy. He fell on the hard floor, curled up in a ball. He clenched his arms around his legs, painfully crushing his bones. No pain was enough to compensate for what he's done. Numbness overwhelmed him as he let go of his aching members.

He was shivering badly. It was his first year on the front, and he could swear it wasn't his last. That foolish war wasn't going to end anytime soon, and his job was, to put it simply, morbid. He didn't sign up for this. He enrolled to help the people, not to kill them. And definitely not children.

That little boy who was hiding behind his brother, he looked so much like him when he was younger. Not physically, of course, Roy was as white as paper sheets and his hair was as black as ink, but the age matched up perfectly. It was like when he hid behind his aunt, looking at his burning house.

Why did it have to be fire? It was fire that ruined his house, it was fire that stole away even that little reminder of his parents, it was fire that he used to kill.

That beautiful fire that warmed him during the harsh winter, his favourite season. The wonderful fire that lit up the candles he blew on his birthday. The marvellous fire that played in the fireplace when his mother read him those old stories about fairies and witches and his father told him about kings and queens from far away kingdoms.

He wanted to cry, but no tears fell on his petrified skin. He grabbed his pocket watch and opened it. He stared at the small picture of his mother and father, smiling at him, at their wedding so long ago... he started laughing. That day, it should have been... what, their twenty-forth marriage anniversary? Twenty-fifth? Heh, that was funny. He didn't even remember when his parents got married.

"Thank you, Uncle" he said between nervous chuckles. "You've gave me more reasons for this damned life than I ever asked for"

'And one is the reason to kill innocent people to prepare for you' he wanted to say, but his laughter made him voiceless.

It was all a monstrous lie. What he was doing, it was unforgivable. He hated himself for all the horrid crimes he had to commit. Nonetheless, he was going to be the one to kill Telford. It was his right. Indeed, he was no better than the one who stole away his childhood, but this was his toll for staining his hands with so much undeserving blood. Equivalent exchange, that was it, and he was going to take his share. He made him a murderer without his consent. It was his fault.

'Everything at its time' he thought and pulled up his reactive cloth gloves. The alarm was being rung in the camp. It was time for another massacre, and the Flame couldn't do anything but obey the lullaby of his orders.

XXXXX

Roy rushed forward and pushed Edward aside. They both fell on their backs. Given the opportunity, Telford pulled out the needle and coughed some more. He shakily rose to his feet and threw the closest objects at the two other alchemists. Roy dodged what seemed to be a nightstand clock and yanked Edward, smacking him on the floor. The boy shivered, his abdomen started aching again, holding him docile, sprawled on the concrete.

The raven alchemist broke through the light defence he got from his uncle. The man was weak; the liquid that was inserted in his lungs was making his breathing hard and slowly poisoning him. He aimlessly threw icicles, not really seeing where he was pointing them, dragging himself on the floor as he was.

Ed got a hold of his body and slowly pushed himself up. He disconnected all the needles in his arms and rolled his eyes through the room till he found his lover's back. Like a cat, the teen jumped to catch Roy's hand and unclench his fingers that were clearly preparing to ignite the matter surrounding them. The man once again smashed him on the cold floor and straightened himself.

"No, no, Mustang, stop this nonsense! Roy!" Ed said louder than he thought he could bring his vocals cords to vibrate. It was really impressive what desperate situations were able to get out of one person. Roy didn't listen, didn't turn to look at his mortified lover. All he could see and hear was his panting uncle, who was looking mockingly at him.

But he was shaking. Oh, he was shaking.

"Yes, Roy, do what he says... you are so like your father, even when I killed him, he was still pondering hitting me" Telford purred. He saw the chance to escape, and he was prepared to take it. He ought to play a bit with his mind. "Roy, you are not going to kill me, you can't. I'm your family; after all, you don't harm family. Remember what the old man said"

At that, the younger Mustang regained his confidence. "You make me laugh, didn't know you had it in you. You aren't my family, you are nothing. You made sure to prevent me from having any family. Or almost, bless Chris. I'm sure Aunt will love your grave's design, I'll personally tend to it"

Telford's eyes went wide. Desperately, he plunged sideways, trying to avoid the attack. Roy kicked him hard and immobilised him. Behind, Edward was shouting for him to stop, to let the justice take care of him, to not stain his hands...

But they were already stained.

"Roy, you know you can't... you can't kill me..." Telford struggled to make some new strings, to hurt Roy even the tiniest bit. "You ca-"

Like it mattered. For once in his life, Roy was fully prepared. "Watch me. Hell, I don't even need to say goodbye"

And then, Roy snapped his bare fingers more enthusiastically than he ever did in his entire existence.

XXXXX

_Ten minutes ago, in Hawkeye's assigned studio_

"What's taking him so long... come on, Roy..." Riza fretted, wrapping the phone cable around her index finger. Why was it so damn hard to catch a bloody crook who was almost fifty! What a stupid situation to waste such precious time, Hawkeye concluded and insisted at the same phone number. "Come on! Dammit!"

She put both her hands on the cheap wooden desk. Black Hayate yelped and jumped off the chair he was resting on. Hawkeye dialled another number.

"Yes?"

"Grandpa, time to wake up" she said and slammed the receiver back in its cradle. Time to overcome the most unlikely scenario.

...

_Less than twenty minutes ago, the same location_

"What are you saying? Major General, are you sure?" the blond Lieutenant asked, chewing nervously on her lip.

"I'm an Armstrong, I know my facts. My men told me precisely his location and sent some others, but those dumb pricks have lost him. Kind of useless, but that's all we've got" the other end spoke. 'Come on, Olivier, think, think' the Northern officer encouraged herself to make the better of the information she was passing on.

"What was his last known location?"

"That's the bit you're not going to like"

Hearing the news, Riza needed to take a sit.

XXXXX

He snapped. The fire suddenly erupted. It was so colourful, so warm, so beautiful. So... perfect? Yes, revenge, the most idealistic purpose of living, the most intelligent and, at the same time, foolish motive for killing.

Foolish reason, like the place they were, the moment, everything that was happening.

So much foolishness.

Edward covered his face with his hands, a stifled scream chocking him. It smelled horribly of burnt grease, perhaps of stew...? The same Pinako made him and his brother when they were visiting her in Resembool. Oh, but it wasn't Resembool in there. But it looked atrociously close to his former home. The one they burnt down.

Roy lost his footing and his legs gave out. He couldn't separate his fingers, the lingering touch of fire preventing him from getting out of his trance. He snapped, again and again, shaking and nearly crying, just with the sole purpose of dismissing his uncle. Or more like burning the wall, really.

He stopped and looked at his work of art. The once pristine wall, light green painted, was now a big black hole with a big pile of crumble in the middle. Only a few bits remained of what used to be the person he despised the most in his whole damned course of life. A finger there, a part of a leg there, a sleeve there. The human shape was faint, but was unmistakable of a man, tall and with broad shoulders. What a mess.

Suddenly, Roy started laughing. He dropped on his back and laughed, whole heartedly. He wanted so much to cry, but there was only laughter.

"Damn you, Telford! Damn it! Argh, it's too much!" he mumbled. From the front of the door, or what remained of it, the Roy looked like a psychopath in a straightjacket. The poor mad man.

Edward looked at the broken man in front of him. He didn't notice the few personnel that came to check the source of the noise. Closely behind, with a clenching fist, Olivier covered her mouth and gulped at the smell, Miles silently towering her from behind, lost in the memories of the distant Civil War that destroyed his kin. They all stared, unfocused, the spectacle of death playing in their face.

Roy crawled to the corpse. He touched the ash with his bare fingers, feeling the remaining warmness. That was what he wanted for all his life, right? That was his reason, his purpose, his resolve.

Now, he fulfilled it. He was a man... with no reason. No purpose. No resolve.

Useless.

Nailed it again, didn't he?

He took the necklace around the corpse's carbonised neck. It was the necklace Telford received when he turned eighteen from his mother, on which he carved the water alchemical symbols. It was the only thing he didn't burn in his rage. The source of his power. Of his foolish revenge. And the source of Roy's mistake.

The last who came to assist at the morbid scene was Hawkeye, who clutched at her stomach. "Oh, no..."

Then the Fuhrer came.

XXXXX

Chris Mustang polished the last glass on the counter. Despite the many customers who were still drinking at their tables, she enjoyed cleaning spotless every corner of her bar at any moment of the day. Her clients ought to have the best services no matter the hour, social status or wealth. She was the best hostess and she was deemed to keep up her reputation.

"Good evening, Ma'am" the blond man said, plucking a cigarette between his lips. "Do you have a lighter?"

She smiled and feathery released the glass on the clean mahogany counter. Only the best in her bar, that was her motto. "For you, Jean, always" she said and opened her metallic lighter. "Have a sit, dear boy. Want anything?"

"The usual, Ma'am"

"Of course" she replied and gave him his black beer. The best in the whole region, specially brewed for her. Oh, her wonderful bar.

"How's the wind? How come you're alone in here? Thought you'd come with the hawk, you two seem quite close, I'd dare say, Jean" Chris winked and smiled all knowingly.

"Neah, she's trying to unpack the last boxes from the previous headquarters. It makes me kind of happy that I didn't have too much to pack"

"Lucky you. So, tell me-" she paused to light her own floral cigarette "-have you seen my stupid kid?"

Havoc chuckled. Stupid kid indeed, Roy would be one of the few absurdly high ranked officers who could act so bipolar and dedicated during missions and actually go on the field. With his head forward, at that.

"Yes, yesterday. He's in low spirits and still blames himself for hurting the chief. He really cares about Ed"

"Yes, yes... well, can't blame him. I like the kid, too. Kind of fiery and unpredictable. I hope they won't get themselves killed. It'd be such a shame"

"That's why we are here, Ma'am" he took another sip and palpated his chest. "Ah, what's now?" he mumbled and got out the little alchemical modified device he held in his breast pocket. "Damn, I'm so sorry, Ma'am, but duty calls at worst moments. Thanks for the beer, as usual" he said and reached to pay for the half-empty drink, but his hand was waved off.

"My best regards, Sir" she smirked and disappeared behind the counter. Havoc took his hat and left the heat of the bar.

XXXXX

"Yes, there is fine" Havoc said to the taxi driver and got off the car. He arranged his scarf and entered the coldness of that winter night. He shivered, what did Hawkeye want with him at that hour, when she was supposed to unpack things at her place? Whatever it was, he almost reached the door of the hospital. The beeping alchemy-controlled screen of the device indicated his destination. He had no idea how that devilish device worked, but again, he didn't know much anyway.

What he found at his destination wasn't exactly what he expected. The reception was conspicuously quiet, there were no doctors doing their night shifts, no nurses running from a room to another, no patients complaining, the air was stiff. The little breeze came from the door behind Havoc. He waited for the receptionist to tell him to close the door, but the woman behind the white and blue counter smiled poorly at him and turned to her paperwork.

Trying and, as a matter of fact, failing miserably, Jean walked as relaxed as he could to the long staircase on the right. He opened the door that separated the floor from the stair exit and –

And fell on his back, Hawkeye landing on him with all her might.

"Argh, Hawk, easy" he said and lifted her up. He looked with a beaming smile at the blonde officer. Her face was petrified. "Hey, Riza, are you okay? Why did you call?"

"Follow me, we have work to do" she said simply and walked past him. Shrugging, Havoc fallowed her back in the coldness of the night.

It started snowing again. What was with all that damned snow?!

XXXXX

Roy stared forward, looking through Grumman. He was blinking fast, not being able to focus on a single object. Breathing deeply, he rose to his feet, took his military posture and saluted. Hiding how unbelievably weak he felt.

The old man's face was harsh yet forgiving, one that a mother would have after her children did something silly and asked for her understanding. In a commanding voice, one that didn't match the softness in his eyes, he ordered the small crowd to go to their assigned positions and leave them alone. Hawkeye was the first to leave, immediately calling for Havoc to help her with the needed paperwork that concealed the horrid mission that ended a few moments ago in a much unnecessary blood bath. And with the cleaning that was due after that, obviously.

Edward stood limply in his corner, his golden eyes fixed on Roy's back. The man wasn't able to turn and face the boy he adored, he was ashamed. He had some explaining to do.

Like that really mattered then.

Grumman waited for everyone to leave and turned to face his protégé. He measured the well composed high ranked officer that was feigning with all his might his feelings and smiled. "Roy, you never learn" he said more to himself and patted Roy on the shoulder. "You may continue with what you have to do" With that, the Fuhrer left.

Ed was unfazed by the show in front of him and simply curved in a ball and waited. He waited.

The body was still there, the ash, the smell, the death. The carbonized figure stood limply, lifelessly, like a decoration in the greenish room. Roy's muscles suddenly relaxed and he turned to look at Edward. He tried to form an assuring smile, but a pained grimace got out. A strained chuckle escaped his dried throat.

"Edward, welcome to the illustrious Mustang family" he made and laughed like a rusty razor. Shakily, Ed rose to his feet, and, feeling dizzy, he lost consciousness and fell back to the floor.

Roy could do nothing but stare.

XXXXX

A soft rustle of sheets welcomed his ears, a pale ray of light warmed his cheeks. Groggily, Edward opened his eyes and slowly flexed his tired muscles. It smelled of fresh bread, and it was so pleasantly warm, unlike outside, were it was still snowing.

Not more than two seconds later, he jumped off the warm confines. He immediately regretted his sudden movements, as his body hasn't fully recovered after the incident more than two weeks before. He shrugged the ache off and wondered blindly through the big room that smelled so good and familiar. He wasn't in that hospital anymore, this bit was obvious.

"Hm? I know this place" he said out loud, his voice sounding a lot more hoarse than usual. Argh, it felt he held thorns on his tongue, it stung.

He softly opened the door and traversed the long corridor. He slowly descended the stairs, as if he wanted to make an escape without being seen. He walked like a cat, soundlessly. Like he didn't want to be seen.

"Good morning, Fullmetal"

No such thing, though.

As if he was on fire, Edward hissed and looked like he saw a ghost. Regaining his composure, he moved his eyes to the sofa, on which Roy sat with a warm smile on his face.

"Why am I in your house, Mustang?" the blond alchemist demanded.

"Heh, I didn't know where to take you after you've lost consciousness..." Roy rubbed his head sheepishly, avoiding eye contact "...I thought you wouldn't mind it, you used to come here quite often. So, Ed, are you hungry? It's little past ten in the morning and... Edward, what the hell?!" the Flame growled and waved off the hand Ed extended to touch his pale face. With a force he didn't know he had in him, the boy caught his hands and forced him to look into his eyes.

"How long has it been since you've slept properly? I didn't notice up until now, but you look like shit, more than usual, that is" Roy didn't sketch a gesture and pointed his look at the floor.

"There's no need to worry, I'm perfectly fine" Roy smirked like it was the most natural thing to do at that moment.

"Is that so?" Ed crooked an eyebrow.

"Yes, of course, why would it be otherwise?" He pinched his nose flirtatiously behind his half lit eyes. "Heh, are you perhaps... interested in my wellbeing? That's sweet of you"

Edward slapped him hard, his balance shifting a bit. He started yelling "YOU ARE THE MOST IDIOTIC PERSON I'VE EVER MET! YOU BASTARD! YOU... YOU!" wet tears started falling on his rosy face. "I'm not used to see people killed in front of me... and why the hell didn't you stop when I told you? And why did the Fuhrer agree to your decision? What was the plan? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU HIDE FROM ME?!"

"Eh?" Roy made, looking dumbly. He slowly raised a hand to his reddening cheek.

Ed swung his hand again, this time the automail member, aiming for the same spot on Roy's face, but the man caught it in mid-air. Skilfully, he twisted the metallic arm and spun the boy, entwining his own arms around the slim waist of his lover, holding him closely. Resisting, the blond struggled in the embrace, trying to push the heavy body away, fruitlessly.

"Let go of me, already!" he yelled and tip toed to hit Roy's jaw. Like a trained soldier, the General effortlessly avoided the blow and pinned the lithe figure down on the living room's wall.

"I said let me go!" Ed gritted his teeth.

"No, I won't. Not until you calm yourself"

"Calm?! CALM?!What calm? Let go of me, you... you murderer!"

Roy suddenly loosened his grip and turned his face away from him. Ed fell on the floor, hitting his head on the wall. "Ouch- why did you- Roy? Hey, what's going on with you?"

Roy twisted his neck and looked at his beloved subordinate. "Is that how you see me? You too?"

"Me... what? Roy, you've got such peculiar reactions, calm down..." Talking about acting bipolar.

"No, Fullmetal, no calming down. You were the one supposed to calm down, not me. And how dare you call me a murderer when..." he sighed. "When I'm one"

Ed crooked his neck, waiting for the outburst of nerves that, surprisingly, didn't come.

"Thank you, Edward"

"What?"

"Thank for seeing the monster inside the hero's shell. At last, someone stopped lying himself. I, for one, still do so"

Edward watched Roy intently. The officer looked like he was holding a speech in front of an enamoured crowd. A crowd that would do anything for their leader. A manipulated and corrupted crowd. But then, there was only him, Edward Elric, and a broken man who was speaking nonsense pretending to have a speech.

"Oh, you don't see, am I right? A few months ago or close to it, you asked me about myself. Well, I present you the great Hero of Ishbal, the Flame Alchemist, fully-fledged General of the Amestrian Military, Roy C. Mustang, at your service. Ta-da!"

"Huh? Are you mad in the head?" Ed mimicked a clueless face.

"I truly don't get it why no one sees me so, when I must be out of my minds. Edward, last night, I showed you the beautiful path to the highest place in the state, the road to success, and, heavens – it was more like an appetizer! This was one of the least obscene missions or duties or whatever I've ever had, believe it or not!"

"What are you saying? I understood that you had to kill a few during the Civil War, but-"

"No buts. And that bloody war was, to put it simple, a massacre. That's how my own personal legend was born – one of those who liberated the country! Some of my comrades from back then appraised me numerous times for my personal best – one hundred seventy three men killed in one day just by snapping my fingers at them. Each of them, can you imagine? Can you?! Taking one by one, by one... Though I mostly killed the wounded that were almost dead, it still counted. One of my comrades even dared to tell me that I should set a goal to two hundred! And they laughed and toasted to that!" Roy feigned a laugh. "They said I was good at it. That's how I jumped through the ranks. Not only by killing, of course, I couldn't bring myself to harm too many after what I had to do, I passionately hated myself for my previous actions, but I had to cheat, lie and corrupt. For cleansing I had to sin. The friendship I have with Olivier is somewhat based on what I had to do, as we both fought together to advance. My back up was Hughes, who unfortunately didn't get to see me this far away, among those who rule" He made a short pause. "And last night was an act to gain more credibility among the ranks. Do you think it will be convincing?"

The raven haired soldier walked to a closet and opened it, pulling out a heavy glossary. He extracted two yellowed photographs, and put the first right before Ed's eyes.

"Recognise him?" he pointed at the blond smiling man in the photo.

"Yes... he is the one you killed"

"Dismissed, to use old man Grumman's words. This is the one many called 'River' or the 'Nameless Alchemist'. His speciality was the water alchemy, as you could see. He never got to be a state alchemist, and had been in the past part of several organisations under several commands" He added the second picture, covering one of the faces that appeared. "This was taken around twenty six years ago. I believe you recognise my aunt, Chris, in the left. She never was a very appealing woman, her physique being rather sturdy, though her face was truly nice back then, as you can see. She twisted many hearts in her youth. This-" he pointed to the woman next to his aunt "-is my mother, Amaya, proud Xingese, former prostitute, if I'm not mistaken, and next to her is my father, Cenric. Both died of blood loss from an explosion, and, as I remember from the little I saw, a twisted neck and a ripped off eye and... ankle? I think? Not very sure of it, my excuses"

He took a deep breath and uncovered the last person on the right. "And this is the one who killed my parents for a reason I will never know, my only uncle and the brother of my father, Telford Mustang. The reason I chose the flame alchemy, the reason I fought like a madman, the reason why I desperately wanted to get closer to the truth. The other reasons were, of course, the corruption I saw and my pride, but these are also not to be left out, of course. Oh, and I almost forgot – my family's role was to... spy? Undercover missions, shady operations, underground management... my grandfather, if I remember it well, was killed by a comrade and my grandmother died in a mission? Oh, and that's me in the middle, as you can notice" he pointed at the little child.

He looked at Edward's speechless face and bowed slightly. "Welcome to my family, the top underground scum"

XXXXX

_The previous night, in Madam Christmas' bar_

Roy pushed the doors open. He was just announced by Havoc that the preparations regarding the body were made and the place was scrubbed clean and reconstructed by a very helpful alchemist, in the person of Major Armstrong. The mission was finally wrapped up and classified as a new success was added to his portfolio. Edward was brought to his house, where he was, presumably, sleeping soundly.

But now was the real challenge. He had to announce the only one he had left after the familial massacre. His aunt, Chris.

The lady was as usual dancing from a table to another, chatting with the customers and being the heart of the night. With a floral cigarette in her hand, she welcomed her nephew. "Oh, Roy boy, so glad to see you"

"Ma'am, may I steal you for a moment?" He said with his best smile. For only a moment, his tiredness and emotional elapse cleared off his face.

Frowning ever so slightly, Madam Christmas nodded. "Of course"

...

They were finally in a secluded place. Chris lit a new cigarette – "I did it" – and took a drag.

She stared for some long moments at her only nephew's face. He looked tired, sad, angry, terrified and sorrowful. He no longer needed to hide behind his well clad mask. His eyes were full of self-hatred, and his mouth was lacking his signature smirk. This was not her boy. This was a troubled child.

"I see" she said and nodded. She let her cigarette in the ashtray burn alone and left it to hug Roy. "You did what you had to do. Don't hate yourself, Roy, you're the only one I have left. I don't want to see you sad. He was no family. He gave up on being so. You did the right thing. You accomplished your mission and you helped others not suffer from his future actions. You did well. I'm proud of you, Roy"

Roy looked in her eyes and absorbed himself in the motherly embrace.

Yes... she was his only family. The woman that raised him after his biological mother and father died. His only real family left.

A tear threatened to fell on his face, the second time that night. But he didn't let it go. There was no need to cry for what he did. He followed orders, acted on his own accord, whatever it was – there was no reason to feel bad for it.

With a slight smile, he muttered "Thank you, Mother"

XXXXX

"Fa... Family? That's your family?" Edward asked, shifting his eyes from the photo to his lover's face. It was somehow... serene?

"Yes, that's them. You've seen my parents when they were a little younger, in the photo on my desk. Anyway, now only my Aunt and I are alive" He lifted Ed's chin and gazed in those molten gold eyes that made his heart skip a bit. He lifted his gaze and mouthed uninterested "Yes, this is my life story. Not much of the fairy tale I would've preferred to tell you or what others see. That's all there is to be presented" He shrugged. "This is me"

Ed lowered his eyes, looking at the floor like it was a precious jewel. What was he supposed to say now? Great job? I'm sorry for you? Go to hell?

What should he say?

"Edward, I'm sorry for making you assist to what you've seen. I didn't want to tell you a word as I preferred to know you are safe and... argh, who am I lying to? I was afraid that I'd lose you if I told you. And, naturally, I understand if you want to leave me and, if you want, to move to another military section, I can arrange everything, there's no problem. I can perfectly under-"

*SLAP*

"What was that for?!" Roy groaned, rubbing the sore spot on his face. Ed slapped him again, hard and mercilessly, with his automail. "I'm merely offering you all the comfort I can give, or is it that you want a residence as well where you'll move? Just tell me how big and it is done"

"Roy Mustang, don't make me slap you again, because I think this time my hand will accidently transform into a hammer. Are you stupid?!" Ed exploded.

"Um... pardon me? Is there anything else you wanted and I didn't mention?" Roy said rubbing absentmindedly.

"I was right, you are stupid. Fucking mad in the head. Why on the Trust's name do you think I've stayed all this time with a depressive maniac like you?! Damn, your blindness is coming back or what? You make me sound like a girl, bastard! But... argh, please, don't push me away... my brother is no longer with me and it's kind of boring, not like I enjoy your company or something, but... you're all I have and I'd..." he gulped. Why was it so hard? "I'd like to be the only one you... you have"

Those golden eyes looked like they were about to jump out of their sockets. Roy lifted his hand and stroked softly Edward's cheeks. "Am I mistaken or are you implying you have feelings for me?"

Ed threw him a murderous look. "I fucking hate you!" he shouted from the top of his lungs and stormed out of the living room, heading for the main entrance. He didn't give a damn he was dressed only in house slacks and a loose blouse, he wanted out. Even naked, he'd go out in the street. Watchers beware, there came the Edwardian train.

Roy sprinted from the living room and grabbed Ed's forearm. He trapped the smaller body with his opulent stature. With an outstanding agility, Ed escaped and threw Roy off his feet with a powerful blow in his shins. Barefoot, he opened the door to get out the house in which he dreamt and got his dreams crushed by a heartless ma-

"Please, don't leave!" a desperate voice called after him, halting his train of thoughts. "Don't leave me... please..." The hard blow had yet to come.

He was already half out, why would he stay?

"I love you"

"Oh"

* * *

A/N: Pow, pow, pow. That's it for now. Frankly, I quite felt like a sappy queen at a certain point, at the end of the first part, if I may say. Whatever, I hope you enjoyed... truly do. Please, don't forget to leave a review/follow/favourite, it boosts me up! Thank you for reading!

Bye, bye!


	12. 12 - Inside look

A/N: Morning, as usual! New chapter, longer and with more feels than the usual. I guess? I wanted to give some more drama to the story and that's what you get. Not too dark, it's getting brighter, I'd say. So, I'll stop boring you with my chattering and announce once again I don't own anything beside the plot and the few made up characters. Thank you a lot for sticking up with me and I hope you'll enjoy this! Please don't forget to review, follow, favourite.

On with the mess...

* * *

Chapter 12 - Inside look

Halfway out of the usually quiet mansion, Edward froze with his automail foot hung mid-air. A shallow layer of fresh snow adorned his bare foot and it was so cold... so cold... he felt his right arm being touched, the many screws that connected his shoulder to his arm tingling slightly at the subtle weight that urged him to stop. It was so contradictory, how a metal limb could feel coldness or warmth... was it normal to feel with an object? His mind was slowly drifting, that was for sure, imagining things that were impossible.

The sensation lingered even after the brief pulling force disappeared. Roy let go of the finger he managed to grab in his haste to keep Ed close to him. Coldly, the boy got a grip on his emotions and talked like reciting a much hated poem "What did you say?"

"That- urgh, no matter" Roy sighed and gave up, by far faster than he intended. He turned his back to the door and lifted his right foot for a steady march to the living room. He almost jumped when something frozen touched his arm shyly.

"Argh, what the- uh? Edward? Hey, don't look like you'll kill me... at least not in front of the door, it's hard to clean the carpet..." Roy bubbled like the embarrassed teenager he always wished he could be when it was still the time. Well, at least he had the chance now. When it definitely wasn't the time for that.

Edward yanked his arm and forced the much taller officer to look into his eyes. Those inhumanly focused orbs where suddenly so down to earth, so impure, so confused. They were... mesmerising. Yes, his eyes were downright beautiful. Roy knew he'd melt if he kept on watching so intently, but he couldn't help it, really. And he truly didn't give a single damn.

However, Ed broke their addictive stare. With a look of pure hatred, venom poured out of his down curved mouth "You could say whatever you want, but we both now you don't mean it. So spare me the bullshit, Mustang". With that, Ed jumped in his boots, which he found by chance next to the door and descended the two steps that lead him to the outer world, away from that damned place he used to consider as a second home.

Roy, only in his socks, sprung though the door and replied in the same tone "Are you fucking kidding me?! Who the hell would stay like an idiot for so long to see if you are okay?!"

Ed turned and retorted "And who the fuck put me into that state? Who, Roy?"

"I did my best to prevent it!"

"And you did some fine job with that, you really did!" Ed resumed his walking, almost running to the generous front garden's exit. Roy chased after him. "ED! EDWARD! WAIT! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU! EDWARD!"

"FUCK YOU, BASTARD! YOU'RE FULL OF BULLSHIT! STOP PLAYING WITH MY HEAD!" he raged back and ran as fast as his feet and condition permitted. He was in no shape to run in the coldness, especially with his closing wounds, but fuck logic, fuck health – he desperately needed out.

Roy dropped to his feet, all the positive energy he woke up with completely gone. What has he done this time? Why was everyone leaving him when he opened, showed his true self? He knew he shouldn't have told Edward about him. He knew it. It was another mistake. Edward wasn't Maes Hughes, who supported him due to his friendship and similar values, he wasn't Riza Hawkeye or his team, who devoted to his cause driven by their loyalty, he wasn't Olivier Armstrong, who needed him as much as he needed her. Edward, unlike those he mentioned, didn't have a reason to stay by his side.

And that fucking hurt, being dumped in front of his house. "Shit, back to square one" he cursed under his breath.

"MISTER MUSTANG!" a loud voice echoed from a faraway balcony. Roy turned and waved at his closest neighbour, who was by no means close to his house. Being in a good neighbourhood had its advantages. At least she was an entertaining presence when he was bored and didn't have any company, and he could see some future fairly good soldiers in her four boys. "DID ANYTHING HAPPEN? HEARD YOU SCREAM, BUT DIDN'T GET WHAT! IS EVERYTHING FINE?" she yelled so he could hear her. In the same loud voice, Roy retorted "NOTHING, MISSES DRAMPS! EVERYTHING'S FINE, THANK YOU!"

He waved his hand at his neighbour and returned inside, frowning deeply.

It was a lost battle, to put it simply. Just like that, because Edward deemed it proper to wake up on the wrong side of his bed. Yes, his bed, damn it, it was now his very own bed, only for him, cold like always, he mused to himself, fuming even harder.

'Argh, now what the hell am I supposed to do?!' Now he needed a plan for at least apologising. If that helped with anything at all.

XXXXX

Edward slowed down and looked around him. He faintly remembered the street where he currently was... it wasn't a route he usually took to the hotel he always stayed, but it was the fastest way there. He entered the hotel like he owned the place and, after nodding a salute to the receptionist, he headed for his usual room. With a thump, he closed the door and jumped on his small bed, his hands covering his face. Strained sobs escaped between his clenched fingers, tears falling into overflowing tears.

"Damn it... damn it... damn it!" he repeated again and again, like a prayer. His words faded in the pillow he muffled his mouth with, succumbing into the dulling silence that surrounded him like a heavy blanket. "ARGH!" he threw the pillow away and stood up. He paced fast to the bathroom and washed his face. The coldness started to catch up with him, and he was drenched. Water dripped from his shirt, a small pool formed around his feet.

He looked in the mirror to find a yellowish face with messy hair falling into the lowered eyes. Plainly, he looked like shit. He felt like it. "Ah, I'm so stupid..." he said to himself. How he wanted to say 'So do I', that he loved Roy back... but he was sure the man didn't mean it. It was the best phrase to make him stay. Roy had to be that low. Yes, that was it.

'No, he's not' Ed reminded himself. Maybe Roy's words were true and depicted his feelings, but it was too late. The short lived, hard to call 'relationship' has ended, and it was for the best. Roy was older and had to protect a certain reputation, more to say about a certain position he held in the military. And him, he was a disoriented young adult who didn't know what to do with his life. No reason to stay.

'Who am I fooling? I wanted it to continue... I can't hate him for what he is... never could... I'm a terrible person' he thought grimly. 'I'm way worse than him' he concluded and sunk in the hot water in the bathtub, full clothed as he was.

XXXXX

Roy fetched a bottle of scotch and brought it to the living room. He purred himself some strong coffee from the pot and mixed a small amount of it with the liquor. It tasted horribly, the coffee too strong and the scotch forgotten opened for too long, but it didn't matter. It was something that could cloud his mind, and that was all that counted as useful at the moment.

It was the third night spent in the very same way since his pseudo break up. It was not quite a separation, but neither a departure in good terms. He didn't know how to look at it – his feelings, which he knew they were genuine, were not reciprocated, or he managed to scare the hell out of Edward. Perhaps both, or perhaps only one of them? Whatever it was, he wanted to know. He hungered for a reason why he was left in that state. He wanted to know why there was a person who didn't fall in his charms. It was against nature.

He nodded to the half empty bottle. "It's going to be a long night for the two of us, pal. Brace yourself"

XXXXX

Riza woke up as usual at six twenty in the morning and arrived at Roy's place at seven. She couldn't comprehend why people thought that she was a morning person, when she clearly wasn't. On her few days off, she easily slept till noon, but when duty called, she could go for days with just scarce moments allocated to sleeping.

She opened the car's door but it was immediately slammed back in its place. The seat next to her was soon occupied by a fresh smelling Roy, looking like a man with a mission.

"Good morning, Lieutenant!" he said with an uncharacteristically excited demeanour given the hour. Taken aback by her superior's mood, she responded to the salute and drove quietly to the headquarters.

At work, Roy was once again in surprisingly high spirits. He worked fast and well and didn't even comment on the copious amount of paperwork Riza had piled up just for him. It was as eerie as it could get.

Hawkeye provided him with coffee which he gladly accepted, and took a less than twenty minutes break for his lunch, which was extremely short, less than a quarter of his usual. He even stayed overtime, another strange occurrence. She simply studied the smoothness of the act she knew was just a disguise for a well hidden condition. 'What are you trying to pull off, Roy? What is it this time?' she asked herself.

"Lieutenant, as the work has become rather erratic, I've been thinking that we all could take a break. You all deserve it, you've earned it after everything we've been through. I will announce the others as well, and I will let Major Armstrong in charge, as I don't suspect there will be too much action for the future week or even weeks"

Roy patted her shoulder and left the office, leaving Riza a bit disappointed. All this nonsense for a little vacation?

'Come on, Roy, you can do better than this' she thought, but didn't comment on what her superior officer said.

XXXXX

He knocked on the door and patiently waited for the apartment's owner to respond "Yes? Oh, Roy, it's so great you managed to come!"

"Mistar Roy! You're hewre!" a little girl bubbled happily and Roy ruffled her hair and kissed the top of her head gently. "Good evening, Gracia. Great to see you, Elicia! Here, that's for you, little princess" he said and offered the child a heavily wrapped package "And that's for the bigger one" he teased and gave her a bottle of high quality red wine she liked to drink in the evening and a box of fine chocolates.

"Ah, charmer" Gracia hugged Roy and welcomed him in. Elicia was fumbling with the wrappings and squeaked when she saw the content of the package. A big and pink haired fabric doll and lots of sweets fell into her opened arms. She looked like a little twinkling star, shining with happiness. "Twank you, mistar Roy! I love her!" she put the sweets down and ran to Roy to hug him, her new doll safely tucked between her arms.

"I'm glad you like her. Have you thought of a name?" he asked, kneeling to be at the same level as her.

"Err..." she looked at him in deep concentration. "Royaline!" she made joyfully. Roy burst into laughter at the name, which was obviously inspired from his. Well, he was proud that he managed to pick something nice for the little girl he loved so much. The little reminder that his best friend left behind, resembling her late father more and more after each passing day.

"Ah, Elicia, are you sure?" Roy spoke seriously. The auburn haired girl pondered it for a second and then answered in the same stoic tone "Yeth, her nwame is Royaline, because she is as swuper as you!" she finally giggled.

"Well then, dear Elicia, I'm very happy. But I don't think I have pink hair, though"

"We can make it pwink!" she laughed and hugged him again, then ran to her mother to show off her new doll. "Wow, what a beautiful doll Roy brought you! I'm jealous!"

"Yup! She's nice!" Elicia said with a small yawn that didn't escape her mother's vigilant eyes "Ah, Elicia, it's past your bed time. Let's head to it"

"But, mommy!"

"Eli, listen to your mommy. I will come back during the day and we will catch up with everything you did with your friends. I am really curious about what John and Andrew did with the lizard you've told me about last time I've seen you, and I can't wait to hear about Marie. Oh, and Fanny, I wonder what she's been doing, too!" Roy rationalised with the little girl, who excitedly agreed to go to sleep, followed to the bedroom by her mother.

Gracia returned a few minutes later. "I'm so sorry, Roy, you know how children are..."

"No problem, she's way too cute to be mad at. Only her sole sight truly made my day. And yours, naturally" he winked at her, making the woman smile a little.

"Yes, she's a jewel, now that Ma... argh, pardon my manners, would you like something to drink?" she asked, mentally slapping herself for almost mentioning something painful. Roy smiled at her and reached for her hand. "How are you holding up?"

The woman smiled sadly and returned his gaze. "Better. It's been some time, anyway, and I know he would hate to see me upset and that's why I'm trying to distract myself. Elicia understood what happened and she has been a great support, though she is still little. I'm blessed to have her and also, for having you. You visiting us so frequently helped us more than you can imagine, thank you so much"

"No, please don't speak so highly of me. I've always felt great in your company and I would never leave friends behind during hard times" Roy stroked her delicate hands and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Now I see what Maes saw in you, Roy. I'm happy I met you and that you've been my husband's rock for so long"

"He's been mine, to be frank. There are things that can't be forgotten" he replied heartily and took a cup of tea from the table. Poor Gracia, she's been so absorbed in her grief that she forgot she has already put a teapot on the coffee table.

"So, Roy, tell me, what do you plan to do in the next few weeks? The New Year's coming, are you spending it with someone?" Gracia asked, taking a sip of her tea, clearly wanting to change the subject as far away from her deceased husband as she could. She loved him even after his premature death, and he was her soul mate forever, but she had enough of all the pity she got in the past few years. Enough was enough sometimes.

Roy noticed the abrupt change of topic, but he put it in the back of his mind. "I haven't given it too much though, really... I think I will be spending it with everyone I'll find in a pub, for a change. I've never been a sucker for celebrations anyway, you know me. What about you?" Roy put the cup down and looked carefully at the woman.

"I will go to my parents with Elicia. Some college friends agreed they'd come with us and, after Elicia goes to sleep, we'll go somewhere. We've always wanted to do that anyway, to celebrate New Year's coming like we used to do during our school years" she replied dreamily. She indeed looked forward to it and Roy was happy that she was moving on. Life had to move on even after a tragedy. Or, at least how Gracia said some time ago, for Elicia's sake and Maes' rest.

"That's nice, I'm glad" he congratulated her decision which, in his opinion, was a good change of pace.

They chatted lightly, the conversation drifting from work to silly memories and then politics. Roy was very fond of Gracia. He was grateful to that woman who brightened Maes' life and brought that little bundle of joy to life. And he was especially thankful that she didn't violate his best friend's memory by going out drinking or hanging out with dubious men. She had the right to happiness, but she had definitely put family first.

Sorrowfully, he remembered Edward. He would have loved going somewhere with him, anywhere, to share more stupid moments they could remember after the years passed. Take pictures and look at them when they'll be old and wrinkled. He was indeed softer than the others thought.

"Actually, Roy, dear Hawkeye called me yesterday to ask how I've been doing. I heard you've been very busy lately" Gracia changed once again the subject.

"Oh, yes, lots of work. I plan on taking a few days off to travel a little, I'd like to do something I never had the chance" he replied stirring the sugar in his second cup of tea.

"Oh, that's nice. You should get a well-earned break, you fully deserve it. I mean, you've gotten yourself in hospital as a birthday gift, you sure need a vacation. I really can't understand how you can work yourself into exhaustion like that. It's not healthy, you know" she said, scolding a little. Roy snorted and agreed. He hasn't told her about the accident with his uncle, all she knew was that Roy had had some health problems after an extended period of working abnormally hard, resulting in him having to be hospitalised for a few days to regain his strength.

"About that, how's Ed? He used to visit us from time to time, to see how Elicia grew up and drink tea with me"

Roy nervously poured some milk in his tea and put the cup down. "He's fine, working hard as well"

"I'm glad he's fine. I haven't spoken with him lately; I suppose he has been really busy. Though I thought you two were in better terms, I heard him speaking nicely about you, in his own way, you know" Gracia said innocently.

"What makes you think we aren't in good terms right now?" Roy demanded, not so happy with the matter at hand.

"You almost spilled the milk when I asked about him. I know you a little better than you think, especially after hearing about your little gestures"

"Maes, huh?"

"Yes, him, but also, as you might find it funny, Edward. That boy looks up to you and respects you from the bottom of his heart" the woman nodded to emphasize her point. Roy looked down and pressed his thin lips hard, turning them white. Why didn't he know about this? Why nobody told him that Edward was regarding him as such?

"And-" she continued "-because Riza told me that she wondered why she hasn't seen him anywhere in the past few days. I guessed it had something to do with you, but the way I see you right now, it's because of something more, am I right?"

"Argh, Gracia, you and your feminine intuition! Am I so easy to read?"

"I haven't known you for as long as my husband or the Lieutenant, but I can tell many things about you just by looking and observing your little gestures. So, dear Roy, what is it that bothers you so heavily that you talk so nostalgically about him? Hm?" she cupped her chin in her hands and lowered her head to look him in the eye. At that moment, Roy felt like his words were pushed out of his mouth. Or like he was at marriage consultation.

'Marriage what?!' he mentally hit his stupid brain. What marriage was he talking about?

"Okay, Gracia, you won. It's complicated, but-"

"You love him, he loves you, you are two idiots. Not that complicated, right?" she abruptly interrupted.

'What the hell is with these women? Aunt first, then Hawkeye and Armstrong, now her?! Sheesh!' he screamed inside. A faint blush tainted his cheeks.

"Okay, your face says it all. Don't dare deny it, I know more than you think" she nodded proudly, chuckling. "Roy, I don't want to budge in, but listen to me – if you want something, go for it, my dear. Take Maes for an example. He was staring at me like an idiot for so long, that in the end I've went to talk to him. Seen, liked, took. No need to go turning around your head. Oh, and I'm sure in the meantime Maes was telling you about me"

"Actually, yes. I told him to ask you out and kicked him out of the dorm to go talk to you, the idiot" he admitted. "At your first date, I had to literally beat him to man up and get out of bed. Poor guy, I think I've scared him more than helped" he laughed.

"You see? Roy, don't stand like that and make up your mind, that is the only advice I can give to you. Now, tell me, how's your aunt? Miss Mustang? It's been ages since I've talked to her! She scared me a bit when she asked to use my country house to hide during the Promised Day"

'Damn, this woman has no subtlety in her' Roy concluded dreamily.

XXXXXX

The next morning, Roy packed up some clothes and walked to the train station around noon. He could have driven to there, but he preferred to take a few steps instead of staying in a car. He would have enough time to lay around in the train.

He took a seat in his usual place, the last bench in the right row, in the second class wagon. He talked to some passengers and exchanged recipes with a grandmother who was overly excited to hear that men who held interest in cooking existed. A pregnant woman explained him how hard it was to have morning sickness and he recommended her some herbs and supported her, telling what a great joy the child would be. Children popped up from nowhere and he played, as usual, with them.

The train ride was as smooth as always. He got the chance to converse and he didn't have a minute to get bored. It was indeed great to travel with middle class people, they were great company.

He got out when he reached his destination, Pleonuk, a rather small but lively city very close to the East City where he was stationed before coming to Central. Not too many knew, but this was where he was born and where he lived for a short time. He and Chris moved to Central when he was only six and he only had faint memories of his stay there, beside his parents' death and some other few, but he came here with a thought, and it had nothing to do with his memories.

He left his lithe luggage at a warm looking pension. The owner was an interesting combination of Xingese and Ishbalan, his wife definitely Amestrian with a trace of the Drachmann harshness. He immediately remembered Roy.

"Oh my, Mister Mustang! Nice seeing you, despite the cold weather!" he greeted and shook Roy's welcoming hand.

"Ah, Horth, I'm so glad to see that you're doing so well with the guest house!" Roy replied with a large grin.

"Yes, thank you! It is going alright. How long do you plan on staying?" he asked and opened a heavy register.

"Frankly, I have no idea. I got a longer leave from work and I plan on roaming around" Roy said frankly.

"As you wish, Roy" Horth loosened up the appearances. He was Roy's colleague at school, in Central, and escaped the cruel fate most of his people gone through due to his elongated black eyes. His Xingese emigrant father had a great idea on marring only a half Ishbalan without red eyes, that being the only way they all survived that mess. Horth Isaki married the previous year the woman he'd been with for about twelve years under well-kept secret, too afraid that it could endanger her life.

Another customer rang the bell on the counter, moving the owner's attention away from Roy. He kindly asked him to leave his things in his usual room, and gave him the needed keys. Roy smiled and accepted the keys with gratitude.

The room was warm and pleasant, a large bed reigning the room under large knitted ponchos. Rosa, Horth's wife, knitted them and painted all the four paintings hung on the walls and took great pride in her manual work. She was a nice woman, blond haired with steel blue eyes, almost grey. She always looked like she wanted to murder you, but when she smiled, one couldn't frighten to its perfection. Roy often joked that she looked like an angry goddess, and that remembered him greatly of Olivier Armstrong. 'Neah, that one looks more like a rapist' he thought and chuckled.

Rosa knocked at his door and asked if he needed anything. Next to her, a short tanned girl with wavy white hair and long grey eyes smiled at Roy widely, revealing her changing teeth.

"Ah, Rosa, you're too nice" he replied gently and hugged Tina, the little girl. She was Horth and Rosa's child, the little slip they had in their otherwise perfectly covered relationship they had until the previous year. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you" he said, but his stomach gave him away with a loud rumble.

"You don't fool me, dear, I've lived in the North too much to be fooled by a warm weather man like you. Dinner will be ready shortly"

"If you don't burn it" he teased, crossing dangerous waters judging by the woman's murderous glance.

"Ha, you'd wish, lad" she said and took her daughter with her to finish assembling the dinner.

The meal was lovely, the small family and the few friends that worked with them being a great company for Roy. Tina was the greatest, her good humoured nature making them gag on the delicious food from the heavy laughter. This pension was where Roy always slept when he visited the area on errands or just for relaxation. The East Area was for him a real oasis of peace, the mixed past with it making him feel welcomed there. It was the place that gave him life, the place that stole his childhood, the place that gave him hope, that made him stain his hands, that redeemed his sins. And Rosa's cooking was one to look forward. To kill for, really.

After the dinner finished, Roy thanked and returned to his room, pretending to be tired. With an all-knowing look, Horth nodded to him and wished him good night along with the others.

In the room, Roy changed his clothes into something warmer, took a small package from his bag and got out for a walk. The sun was low on the sky, the night starting to creep and it was getting chillier. He walked with his hands in his pockets and stopped at a flower shop and bought some immortelles. He paid for them and headed to a rather empty space where he remembered his house has been. In a faraway area of the city, quiet and peaceful. The closest neighbours were about five minutes away. It was rather secluded and serene. Nothing was built over the previous house which was now a black ruin guarded by a snow fortification. Roy made his way through the snow to the cleaned path to a tall leafless tree that watched over two marble stones.

"Nice to see you again, Mother, Father. How've you been?" Roy saluted and put the flowers down on the black stone that covered his parents.

XXXXX

With a loud growl, Edward woke up and yawned. He stretched his muscles which greeted him with a fierce pain. "Ouch, damn" he hissed and halted his stretching to look at the clock. He jumped off the bed and threw open the bathroom's door, grabbing his toothbrush while disentangling his messy blond hair.

In less than ten minutes, the alchemist was running on the Central's streets. In twenty, he was breaking his office's entrance.

"MAJOR ARMSTRONG! I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE PAPERS, NO!" he shouted to the massive tall officer that was peacefully talking to his sister and sipping tea.

"What papers, Edward Elric? Oh, and please close the door, it'd be a pity to let the warmth get out" Alex feigned a confused look.

"Err? The papers on my research that I was requested to bring like, you know, today?" Edward tried to sound all business and failed as always.

"Today? I told you to bring them next month, I recall. On the phone, when we talked"

"You said December! No way you said next month, Major!"

"No, I believe it was January. Right, sister?" he looked at the blonde woman who nodded frantically. Olivier chuckled loudly, patting her brother on his broad shoulder. "Damn, you were right. Alex. Way better than spending the day with them lots" she said with an amused face that Ed didn't quite get. He actually felt his blood grow cold at the sight of the state in which the woman was. She was direly friendly, and that wasn't good.

"Loosen up, kid, and come here, sit with us" she waved her hand to the couch she was sitting on.

"You can put the papers on the desk, the General will find them when he comes back" Alex added and took another sip from the black tea. The tea cup looked pathetically small in his huge hands, making him look like a great bulky giant with a great bushy moustache.

Warily, Ed took a sit next to the Major General, as far away as possible. "Comes back?"

"Yeah, I heard he left the town for a few days. I'm really surprised that you came to work on your day off" Olivier said solemnly. She looked a bit disturbed in the head, grinning to her little brother about an unknown joke. Shit, maybe they wanted to sell his organs! Or what if...

'Calm down, they're not gonna sell anything' he scolded himself. He hoped.

"How are your injures, Edward?" the larger alchemist asked with concern.

"Better, I guess... they're healing, thanks" he replied mechanically.

"Ah, that's great. We really though we lost you back there, I heard you fainted a little later, after I left the hospital. Good that Roy took you home, it sounded like you were in a rough state" Olivier said playing with her long fringe.

"Yes, I'm all good now" Ed lied. He wasn't well at all. His wounds were healing, but he felt like hell. He was mentally broken. He missed the only opportunity that he might ever have to be next to the man he realised he could die for, literally. Well, he was almost killed because of him, so this was only a matter of semantics. He was so blind not to notice his feelings. Or maybe they were too blinding to let him see anything.

"My ass you're good" Olivier burst. "You sound like a broken engine, and trust me, I know how one sounds, and it sounds like shit – exactly like you right now. So, big baby idiot Roy-boy screwed up again?" she implied and rested her back against the backrest, hands folded neatly in her lap. How could she be so vulgar? He suddenly preferred her usual coldness much better than that.

"Ah, Olivier, don't be so rude with him. Edward, my sister is simply stating that there might be something bothering you, and we would like to listen to your problem, if you want to share it with us" the Major said. It was rather awkward to leave someone lower ranked in charge while the commander was away, but there was no one to question Roy's orders. And, at the moment, the baby blue eyed officer was the best option to take care of the work that could show up during the usually tranquil Winter Holidays, as he wanted to stay in Central and celebrate with his big family. And to keep his hot headed sister away from plotting a promotion in Mustang's absence was also a viable reason for choosing him.

"There's no problem, Sirs" Ed replied, not sure what to call Olivier. 'Sir' suited her better than anything.

"Elric, I might be older than you, but I'm not deaf yet, my hearing is still quite good. Nor am I blind. It was not that hard to see you storming out of Mustang's place, and definitely not that hard to hear him yelling at his neighbour. It's surprisingly easy to put one and one together. It makes two" she talked like she would explain something to a mental limited case. She added more seriously "I wanted to check if you two were okay, but that was far from it" She paused and finally said "I know about you two, no worries, kid. A bit surprising, knowing him, but not hard to imagine. I definitely don't judge you, but it kills the mood around here. Especially that I don't have some worthy opponent to bully during my free time. It's no fun to pick on my little brother all the time" she punched Alex's arm with a force that could easily break off his bones. He shifted a little in the armchair on his sister's right and muttered a silent "I won last time, sis"

"Whatever" she replied a lot louder. "You got my point, right?" she said, looking at Edward with her crazed blue eyes.

"Yes"

"Yes, what?"

"We fought"

"Atta boy! Was it that hard? Okay, now, tell me so I can break his neck. For once, I'll make sure I get to him before Hawkeye does" she plotted evilly. "It will be delicious"

"No, no, you don't get it. I don't want anyone to get between. I'm sorry, Majors, but I prefer to keep it personal. I just want a peaceful holiday, I want to go see my family back in Resembool. As plain as that. There's no need to worry" he looked at the clock on the wall. "If you'd excuse me, Majors, I have some things to finish. I have to go. Thanks for the concern, have a great holiday!" he saluted and left visibly quieter than when he came in.

However, Olivier looked raged.

"Did that brat call me twice a 'Major'?"

XXXXX

Roy stroked lovingly the black tombstones. They looked well-kept and were clean of snow. Some pine crowns connected them, most likely placed by the good hearted Horth who sometimes tended to the tombs. He was much indebted by Roy's continuous support during his harder times and, despite the officer's complaints, he always tried to help him at least in a small, yet meaningful way.

He kneeled in front of them and cleaned the little ice that painted flowers on the golden letters. "Amaya and Cenric Mustang, loving parents and children of the people, who flew high above those who they loved. We will never forget the sacrifice" he recited the words with which his parents welcomed death. He put down the package he brought with him and then he pulled off the necklace he carried around for the past few days and looked at it for a moment. He opened the black velvet package and took out a small urn and a bar of metal. He clapped his hands and transformed the metal into a shovel. He slowly broke some good frozen layers of mud and then opened the urn. He let the ash fall into the hole and then he threw the mud back on its previous place.

He stood up to look at his work. It was almost complete. He gathered the shovel, the velvet and the urn together at the head of the small improvised tomb and clapped his hands over them. A solid tombstone erected from the soil, well anchored in it.

He took the necklace from the ground and kissed its cold surface. Gently, he pressed the metal on the tombstone, silver letters forming on the black tombstone.

_Telford Mustang, a never understood alchemist, brother and uncle to those who have forgiven, we will forever remember you._

"I forgive you, Uncle. I don't know what we've done to you, why you had to kill my parents and then try to kill me, but I forgive you. I will remember you as my only uncle, and not a murderer. My conscience is clean. Yours, I hope, is too. Rest in peace, Uncle Telford" Roy said and lowered his forehead to touch the cold name.

With a deep sigh, he rose and moved to the other tombs. He kissed the stones gently and put his arms around them, like in a hug. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm sorry, but I had no choice. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." he whispered his eternal prayer to his parents and started crying whole-heartily.

It was the only place he could be himself.

XXXXX

Edward returned to the hotel and pondered what he should do. He had absolutely nothing to do, that was the pure truth. He lied to the Armstrongs so he could get out of there. He knew the two adults meant the best for him, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them what really happened. It was good that they understood him, it meant he wasn't alone in that, but it still didn't lighten his heart. He felt like plain shit. Alone and sad.

With great strain, he pulled up the phone and dialled his brother's number. "Hello" he said in the receptor.

"EEEEEEDDDD!" a loud voice shouted at the other end. "So good to hear you!" Winry continued cheerfully. Another voice asked 'Is that Ed?' and the speaking person suddenly changed. "Brother! How've you been? We thought something happened, we tried to call you but no one answered. We tried the General and then the Lieutenant, who was nice and told us you were busy with a mission. Are you alright? Did you get enough sleep?"

Leave Alphonse to act like the mother hen. "Yeah, yeah, no worries, Al" he replied detached. "How are you? How's Granny and Winry? You've stole her phone just a moment ago"

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay. But you sound so. We're all fine, a bit sad that you couldn't come to spend at least a few days with us"

As much as Edward wanted to accept the invitation, something didn't let him show his face to the people he loved so much. He wanted to believe it was just fatigue, but it wasn't. He didn't want them to see him wounded and broken hearted as he was. He didn't want them to worry or get hurt. He loved them too much for doing that to them.

And he felt like there was some hope left for him in that damned capital.

"I'm sorry for that, Al, you know I couldn't do anything about it. But I will visit you soon, just wait a little and we'll get together" Ed assured poorly. "This time it is for real"

"Fine, you are welcomed anytime. Tell me, do you know if the General is around? I wanted to talk to him about the wedding" Al asked cheerfully. 'Ah, shit, I forgot about the wedding' Ed mentally scolded.

"Why do you want to talk to him about it?"

"I told you we thought it'd be great to be the officiator. He's been a strong figure around us and he would be the best to do it. Do you think you can suggest it to him and maybe convince him to do it? I'll talk to him too, but you know, you two know each other better, you've been working with him for some time"

'Damn true we know each other better. Why does that bastard keep pestering me even when he's not around?' Ed frowned.

"I think it'd be better if you personally spoke to him. After all, it's your wedding, and I'm sure he'll appreciate if you tell him, and not me. But I can convince him afterwards." Or more likely try to make him not come to that wedding. He didn't want his precious brother's wedding to be ruin by Ed's sour mood. 'I'm so selfish...'

"Great! Thanks, brother! I will call him after the New Year's, I think he'll be at his office by then, right?"

"Sure"

XXXXX

Roy returned to the capital three days later with a lot more energy than when he left. He was ready for a new year of boring paperwork and annoying officials he needed to convince and other fools he needed to charm and so on... it was indeed troublesome. Maybe he should take it easier, and relax... settle down, leave the military and start travelling... yeah, it sounded good.

"For fuck's sake, I'm thirty,not eighty!" Roy massaged his forehead. He knew he would never settle nor leave his goal unreached, and with pushing his stability rock away he felt more lost than ever. But that gave him no excuse to think of such foolish plans for the future.

He opened the door to his house slowly, like he didn't want to disturb anyone from inside. Of course there was nobody there. He sort of wished there would've been someone to ask him about his short trip, or take his coat, but it would probably have been a thief and that's something he truly didn't want, no matter how pitiful he felt. He had his decency.

He threw his few dirty clothes in the bin and put his suitcase back. His house seemed lifeless and cold, just like he remembered it had been for the few past years, from the moment he bought it. He refused sharing a dorm with anyone, as he needed to stay away from lower ranks as to show his superiority. There was no superiority in fact, though there were expectations and images to keep up. A womanizer who never brought anyone home, a very well-mannered man who ate with his hands when in hurry, an always cheerful man who drank away his loneliness with the ghosts in his head, an unshakable man who was afraid of the darkness and always held a light on. If anyone saw him like that, his reputation would severely decrease. He was by no mean what others saw him.

There were just a few who partially knew the truth about him, his most trusted subordinates, but even them were oblivious of the bigger image. And there was Edward. The only one who ever slept at his place, for whom he cooked for, with whom he shared his consolation drinks, who knew the most well hidden parts of his soul. But his rejection betrayed the trust Roy thought they had after the years they fought together. It was all an illusion.

Mere illusions made up by his drunken mind.

He undressed and left his clothes in a small pile in the bathroom. The hot water refreshed him and almost made him feel at peace, if only for a few silent moments. He clinically cleaned himself and washed his black hair. Not very content, he noticed he should cut his hair. The bangs were already falling into his eyes and they might be getting in the way. But maybe he'd wait a bit longer. He dried and put on some clean clothes, not really paying attention to what he was dressing into.

He descended and took a seat on the couch. He ruffled his still damp hair and looked at the clock on the wall. It read nine forty. Outside, it was dark, the only light coming from the houses and the street lanterns.

A few more hours till the next year... he should change into something more appealing and go out. Have a drink with some nice stranger and flirt with some others. Enjoy the night at its fullest.

But something in him didn't let him do that. It was a tiny voice in his head that pocked at him, telling him to listen to his heart and not do something so irresponsible.

Despite himself, Roy took another shower just for the good old times' reminder and changed into dress pants and a black shirt and a grey cardigan. He attempted making his hair stay a little less wild, but it didn't work out as planned. It was the same careful mess as always. He looked in the mirror and noticed some faint black lines under his already pitch black eyes. He applied a little correction cream or however it was called makeup he stole from Olivier some long time ago. That overly manly woman had a surprising collection of ointments, balms and the likes.

With a final glance in the bathroom's mirror, he concluded he looked good enough for the night. Alright, it was time for some action.

XXXXX

They said holidays were about happiness, but not for everyone.

Edward munched on the shortbread he bought that morning. It was pleasantly sweet and it heightened his mood. He still wondered why he didn't go back to Resembool, however, he thought it wasn't that bad. He decided he would go and spend the night with whoever he found in a bar or something. It would be a nice experience, he was sure, he never went out like that in such occasion. There has always been Al and Winry and Granny and some other friends from their hometown, but never him alone. Maybe he'd meet someone he liked and change a little the scenery. That would be nice.

He dressed in his favourite black leather jeans and put on an equally black shirt. He was all dressed in black, but he didn't care that much. His blond hair contrasted nicely with the darkness of his clothes, and he carefully tied it in a high ponytail. He put on his coat, scarf and gloves and went out of his room.

Outside was cold and dark, but it was acceptable. People were cheerfully chatting and singing some holiday songs he didn't pay too much attention to when he was a child, but it was nice. There was considerably more light on the streets and there were many merchants with sweets and mulled wine and sweet tea. Children were running around eating candy apples. The older of them were made snowmen or played with the abundant snow. Adults were excited too and some of them threw snow balls.

Yes, he should find happiness in his future, not sorrow in his past. It was beautiful outside.

Ed was aware that he wouldn't be able to mend back his relationship with Roy, as he heavily doubted the man still wanted him. He realised his feelings were of love, but it was too late after he pushed the older away. He should move on. He should live his life, after all, he was young and handsome and smart and had a nice salary and a stupidly high rank for his age - he had a bright future in front of him.

Only if his feet listened to his train of thoughts.

XXXXX

Roy sprayed a little nice smelling cologne he bought from an old lady who sold him information and put on his shiny boots. He searched after his leather wallet through his many drawers in the hallway and then wrapped his dark grey scarf around his neck. Smoothly, he slipped in his long black coat and stuffed a few cenz in his pocket to buy some mulled wine before he headed to a bar. He snatched his keys and opened his front door after shutting the lights.

He immediately covered his eyes with his hand. A beaming ray of light momentarily blinded him. He lowered his arm and looked at the source of his discomfort.

It was the street light that reflected in a tightly combed long blond hair, surrounded by the sweet spicy smell of mulled wine. Cinnamon and fiery eyes. Yes, that was one delightful sight.

"Edward?" Roy said incredulously. Did he start having hallucinations?

The blond measured his words for a second and then asked shakily "Hey, Roy, would you like some... err... mulled wine?" He extended a cup and smiled sheepishly.

This looked like a cheap dejà vu. Well, at least he didn't need to buy himself a cup of the hot spiced liquor.

* * *

A/N: Pam, pam, that's it for now. Hope you like this chapter and I'll see in the next one! Thanks for the positive response and thank you very very much for reading and as usual, please don't forget to review, follow, favourite. It boosts me, that is :D

Bye, bye!


	13. 13 - With black and yellow

A/N: Morning as usual, despite the actual hour (I mean, for me, it's definitely not morning). Here's a long chapter with lots of swears (a little less than usual, though), graphic stuff and more fluff I thought I could get out of me, even though I'm not that fond of it.

Whatever, I'll save the rambling to myself. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you will enjoy. Please don't forget to review, follow and favourite!

Oh, oh! And more holiday feels, because the best thing about summer is that the winter is coming closer and closer! Hooray to that :D

Tsk. Now on with the real reason of my notes...

* * *

Chapter 13 – With black and yellow

Edward frankly didn't know what devil put that outrageous thought in his mind. How could he, instead of going to a loud pub filled with people, ended up buying two cups of hot mulled wine and walking to a familiar residence where he wasn't supposed to show up again. In all the ringing cacophony, it was now or never, and Ed preferred hanging on all the possibilities than letting the time pass and regret not doing a thing.

But in front of Roy, he was at a loss of words and mechanically asked if he wanted some wine. He was too confused with his previous actions to allow his mind to actually process what he was saying. He fought the urge to burry himself somewhere deep and disappear from the hungry naked eye of the world. He was already imagining how the elder would snap and yell to him or throw him out of his garden, or maybe burn him on the spot or-

"Sure, thank you" Roy said warmly and took the cup, sniffing the liquid contently. It smelled undeniably good.

Half of the blond alchemist wanted to slap himself for those preposterous worries, but the other wanted to punch Roy for being so nice out of nowhere. Maybe a part of the second half also wanted to hug him, but instead of any of the former, he chose to dumbly stare at Roy who slowly seeped the wine, the soft steam making his round cheeks rosy, like of a child in the fresh snow.

"Mhm, it's very good"

"Yeah, glad you like it..." Ed replied awkwardly.

Roy, despite his apparent iron composure, wanted to bang his head in a wall or shoot himself with anything, even a water pistol would do. He was inwardly overwhelmed by so many emotions. Ed was so damn manly, coming to his house and all! Why didn't he think of that? He felt like jumping on the boy to ask his forgiveness and, why not, ask him to be together again? Hell, he'd even beg him. He would do virtually everything. He was desperate enough to do any of them.

'Wow, so great to be courted by someone' he internally grinned, feeling like a damsel in a tower out of the sudden. He frowned upon the thought. He decided he didn't like that.

He prudently chose not to rush things. He first needed to know whether Ed came to plainly throw a fit in front of his house or just to apologise or wish him a good year or whatever. He politely closed the door behind him and opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off.

"Going out somewhere?" Ed manned up for a second, instantly regretting it. He was beet red. 'Argh, be a man' he mentally scolded. This was the most embarrassing moment of his life, he knew he was an idiot for showing up at the man's doorstep - again, that is – he was a sappy excuse of a cliché and disgusting and he hated himself-

"Sure, want to come along?"

"Alright" Ed responded firmly. 'WHAT?!' he screamed inside of his mind. Praying all the gods he knew to prevent Roy from noticing he was blushing hysterically due to the simple act of talking to him, he lead the way out of the garden, walking slowly to wait for Roy to lock his door.

Of course Roy noticed the redness in Ed's cheeks, but he was equally red in his cheeks and flustered to actually care about that. Thank the height difference for the blond man's ignorance.

XXXXX

Madame Christmas lit up one of her favourite flavoured cigarettes and blew the smoke in the heavy alcohol-scented air. The tainted floral fragrance tickled her nose and she smiled contently. The club was full and she was, surprisingly enough, surrounded by Roy's handpicked squad, in her opinion a bunch of occasional drunkard idiots, but good hearted and unquestionably loyal.

"I'm tellin' ya, I mean I am, you know, I say that it was the guy with the horse" Breda mumbled, obviously muzzy even though it was so early.

"IT WAS THE HORSE!" Havoc concluded loudly and almost hit Hawkeye's chin with his head when he suddenly sprung out of his chair. She threw him a glare and he retreated back on the chair like a lost puppy.

They were discussing an old case they had in their very first year under Mustang's command. Chris provided the five members of the squad with sufficient booze and a private booth so they could talk whatever they wanted and enjoy the night together.

She left the tipsy officers alone, knowing that Hawkeye's responsible-adult instincts would kick in if they were needed. She went to the bar and nodded to the girls who were working hard on satisfying all their customers with their orders. They were doing a fine job, as usual. She inhaled another load of smoke and scanned the main room. She was surprised that Roy hasn't shown up yet, it was past time the hour he usually came there, or maybe he decided to go somewhere else.

Or perhaps his brain wasn't as fried as she thought it was. That wouldn't be so bad, not at all... It was amusing how easily the rumours came to her ears.

She smirked and blew the smoke away, watching it dissipate in the air like it has never existed.

XXXXX

Roy and Edward slowly walked down the crowded streets of Central City. It seemed like everyone was eager to watch the big fiery flowers on the sky, as the children on Roy's street called them. The great annual fireworks. This year, the raven haired General messed up with them a little, adding some very spectacular effects to them granted his alchemical aptitudes. He was sure the brats would love them.

Not sure what to say, Ed followed Roy quietly. What was he supposed to do? It was a bad idea, the whole thing, he knew it.

"It's rather crowded tonight" Roy started and took the final sip of his wine before throwing the empty cup in a trashcan, looking into the distance up ahead.

A few children tangled between the two of them and hid behind their backs, laughing cheerfully. Ed stiffed and raised his arms to protect himself from the spinning kids that assaulted them with their sickening happiness.

"Easy, little monsters" Roy said and patted their covered heads. Their parents ran after them, and the mother stopped Roy to apologise. "Ah, Mister Mustang, I'm so sorry, they're so wild"

The older alchemist waved his hand in dismissal. "No problem, Misses Dramps! Can't blame them for having a good time. Happy Holidays!"

"Thank you, you too, Mister Mustang!" she said and then grabbed her husband who managed to mumble a 'Happy Holidays' before he was dragged after the four unruly boys by his wife.

Roy smiled softly and looked at Edward. "My neighbours" he explained and started walking again. The blond disposed of his cup as well and followed the man.

On their way, they chatted lightly, similar to what they used to do at a midnight coffee. It felt nostalgic and surprisingly good, walking like equals and friends. No ranks, no swears, no hate – just a good natured friendship. It brought back good old memories.

They found a quiet spot to sit on a clean bench. It was cold, however supportable. The pale light of the lantern beside them cupped the fine features of the younger man's face, complementing his light coloured hair. He looked obviously distressed and unconsciously fumbled with his gloves, his eyes focused on the snow rather than anything else. Roy didn't know what to do with himself, wanting to say something and not really knowing how to start.

Taking a deep breath, Ed slowly approached Roy and shyly put his head on top of his shoulder. Instinctively, Roy lowered it and allowed the blond better access to the hollow under his neck. They stood like that for a long time, looking at the frozen lake before them and enjoying the warmth between them.

Dark gruesome thoughts forming in his mind, Roy decided to break the silence that wrapped heavily around them. "Edward, I wanted to say... how to put it more accurately..." Perfect, now was the ideal time to mumble and trip in his words.

"I'm sorry" Ed said plainly, without moving from Roy's shoulder. The elder's eyes widened, for a moment sparkling with fear. Why was he sorry? Maybe he was sorry that he heightened his hopes and he walked with him just to console his feelings?

Roy gently pushed Edward off of him and lowered his eyes to look directly into his "Ed, please, don't do this out of pity. I understand and I agree with your decision on leaving. It was irresponsible of me to drag you into my problems. I have to apologise, not you. Ignore what happened, please"

The molten gold in Ed's eyes suddenly darkened, the colour boiling harder than ever at the sight of the onyx in front of them.

He knew those eyes all too well. Roy braced himself for a hit or anything that could bring him pain to a certain extent, but he didn't expect surprisingly bold lips to crash onto his. It felt like they belonged there, it felt... like home. Passionately and definitely without any restraints, Roy returned the kiss heatedly. He was a starved man who captured his prey and was hungrily devouring it.

Coming back to his senses, Mustang pushed the younger officer away from him and measured him. They were both panting and short breathed, a tinge of red painting their pale complexes.

"Edward, if you don't mean it-"

"I do! Damn it, you're so bloody stupid!" Ed grabbed Roy's scarf and brought him closer to him. "You're a big time idiot if you think I don't mean it! I don't give a damn that you're a perverted old man who lives like a depressive hobo in a huge house and with a shitty past! I don't care about what you did or didn't and I definitely don't regret anything! It was me who agreed to stay by your side, put that in your stupid mind! I was so happy that you told me about your family, I could burst!"

Roy watched dumbly. "Then why did you run away?"

"Because I was afraid! Because... because I fucking love you, you... you bastard!" Ed yelled, sounding more like he was threatening Roy. He pinned his eyes down, embarrassed. He jumped off the bench and stood inertly in front of it, still not looking up.

Roy's heart literally skipped a beat. He left the bench and reached up to cup Ed's pointy chin. He slowly caressed the soft skin with his thumb. The younger alchemist looked up at those black eyes filled with awe and adoration, momentarily looking brighter, almost starry. He gulped.

"Do... do you mean it, Edward?" Roy asked carefully.

Ed shook lightly and looked away. "Of course I do! Don't make me say it again, it's embarrassing"

"Are you embarrassed with me?" he further questioned.

Ed stared intently and then replied "No"

"You see, then... I would love to be the only one you have if you give me the honour of being the only one I have" Roy spoke low, using some of the words Ed said a few days before. The shorter man smiled that his plastic sentence was remembered.

"I would love it, too" the smile on Ed's face was addictive, so bright and pure.

Roy couldn't help smiling as well. "Damn, I love you too much to put it into words" he confessed again and hugged Edward with all he had. The blond muttered a silent "I love you too" that was barely audible, but Roy's eager ears caught it, his mind replaying the words over and over again in their maddening embrace. Ed returned the hug and rose on his toes to lovingly capture his lips in a slow and meaningful kiss, a kiss that marked their words like a vow of devotion.

*BOOM*

A sudden noise startled the pair and they broke the kiss, though none didn't let go of the other. They both looked around them and Roy would have snapped his fingers if Ed didn't catch his hand and showed him the sky up above with his free hand. Roy moved his eyes to his pointed direction and smiled.

"Oh, I see my trick worked..." he muttered to himself as the flashes took diverse shapes of animals, flowers, hearts and many other objects. Ed was fascinated by the colourful show on the sky, this being the first time he ever assisted to such a splendid scene. It wasn't the first time he has ever seen fireworks, but never like that. Central City's pyrotechnical show wasn't so popular for nothing. It was as if, for a short while, the sky lit up like it was daylight displaying and not just colours dancing through the blinding darkness.

He involuntarily squeezed Roy's hand, making the other look at him. Ed finally appeared his age or maybe younger, his features completely relaxed with beaming happiness carved on his smooth skin. Roy felt like a teenager again, so young and careless. "Do you like them?" Ed couldn't talk, he simply nodded and continued watching the magnificent show.

After a good half an hour, the lights stopped and left behind them the usual smoke, a lot less thanks to Roy's innovative idea regarding the rockets' composition. Edward blinked a few times and then looked at his lover.

"It was unique, thank you. I suppose you were the one who made them do those things" the blond assumed and the other nodded.

"I'm glad you liked them" he replied and hugged Ed again. They stood like that, enjoying the touch they shared.

"Oh, Roy?" Ed suddenly made.

"Hm?"

"Happy New Year, I guess"

"Oh, yes" Roy said and scratched his head sheepishly. He was so overwhelmed that he completely forgot about the real reason of the show. "Happy New Year to you too, Edward" They both smiled, their jaws aching from the excess of it, and kissed again, forgetting about everything and anything. It was only them that mattered.

XXXXX

Chris Mustang went to the separated booth where she was greeted by the cheerful group. Even Hawkeye loosened up her tightness and she was lightly leaning against a groggy Jean, rather maudlin despite his usual demeanour. Regardless all that, at the loud sound coming from the outside, his mood swung to the happiest extent of the palette of human feelings.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" he wished loudly, the others soon returning his exploding mirth. The older woman smiled and wished them the same. She took a clean glass from the table and filled it with champagne and then toasted with everyone at the table, just like she previously did with her working girls, who were, after all, like an adopted family after everything they went through together.

She looked at each of them, studying them with an expert eye. They had different personalities, but they were all working very well as a team. Hawkeye was like a mother bear to them all, her sense of responsibility and professionalism intact at any given time. Havoc was the typical dumb blond in aspect, but was a man with sharp instincts and a good heart. Breda had a great brain for strategizing and was a shrewd character, despite his crassness. Falman's ridiculously accurate memory always came in handy and he was the sense of equilibrium the eccentric team needed. And, of course, there was the small Fury, his shyness and, in the same time, boldness being a valuable asset to them all. Chris was thankful to them for holding her nephew's back for all that time, thus earning a spot in her heart.

As she was studying their faces, the five pairs of eyes gazed through Chris, who was standing with her back at the door. She instinctively lowered her hand to the knife she had hidden underneath her black stockings, but the voice of the person of interest calmed her.

"As drunk as sailors, I see" Olivier Armstrong made and snatched a chair for her, showing Miles and her brother two other unoccupied chairs. "Can we crash at your table?"

Accompanied by loud laughter, the three officers were greeted at the table and they exchanged their wishes.

After some time, Jean was done with being eaten by curiosity and asked, despite Hawkeye's fruitless efforts to stop him "How come you managed to come here, Sirs?" he stopped for a moment "And Ma'am"

Seeing her brother and undercover lover were too busy talking with the others, Olivier replied "I just remembered why I haven't come in years to my parents for this period and thought I could ruin your mood as well. Right, Alex? Oh, and no 'Sir' tonight, I'm kinda sick of formalities, my mother's a sucker for them, and I will be too drunk to care" From across the table, the massive blond answered a loud "Yes" and continued his heated conversation with Falman about something hard to guess.

Olivier started chatting with Hawkeye and Chris, sometimes peeking at Miles who was also engaged in another conversation. They ended up in playing poker all night, the money going from one to another till they forgot who actually won. They drank and had a great time, forgetting about their jobs and their hard-built reputation. They were simply friends going out drinking.

Damn if they wouldn't regret drinking so much the next morning. But to hell with it, that was why nights existed.

"By the way, Chris" Olivier said after too many glasses of every drink she could find on the table "Where the hell is that sorry-assed Roy?" Chris Mustang looked at her and then replied "Somewhere in a deep conversation"

"Those two idiots" Olivier said and Hawkeye nodded promptly. "At least he finished all the work because of their fight, so I don't complain" The women laughed and they toasted for who-counted time that night.

XXXXX

Roy opened an eye and then closed it. It was too early to wake up... he opened the same eye again and looked in the general direction of the clock on the wall. He couldn't see its screen as he was on the floor, and not exactly in the most comfortable position. He shifted a little and almost hissed when he touched Ed's cold automail arm that was strategically planted over his right knee. He looked at his feet and saw the blond's body tangled with his limbs, his head rested on his left shank and his torso curved under his other foot. It looked like his body was being hugged in an awkward reversed position.

Too absorbed for his own good in examining his lover's elastic body, Roy managed to avoid in the last second a metal leg that was aimed for his face. Ed turned in his sleep and grabbed the elder's toes like they were a pillow. 'God, he moves too much when there's no need for it' the raven alchemist inwardly cursed.

There was no way he could escape from the tight embrace without waking Edward up, so Roy settled with merely staring at the blond. He was so beautiful in his eyes, his appearance more like of a statue than of a flesh and blood human being. His torso was scarred and had a faint purplish tone, the wounds from their battle still not completely healed. The old suture on his right shoulder prolonged with a fresh one and went down on his slime abdomen to make an ugly red turn under his chest. However, no matter how many impurities that body had, Roy couldn't help admiring it. That person was so young and had already been through a lot and suffered much more than most of the people he knew. But he stood up in front of fate and defeated his fears. He was a warrior. He was a rock against life itself.

His support through the abnormalities they shared together. His newfound rock.

Roy pulled up the blanket that was twisted around them and covered more of his lover, who started shivering. His naked form was caressed by the soft fabric that complemented his precise lines. The man smiled and stroked the metal leg that was now pointed at his neck. It was the reason why they first met. Because that little boy from so many years ago played with alchemy. It was how Roy was lured to his house to find a twelve years old child in a wheeled chair with fiery eyes, it was his motivation to continue his rocky road to the top. To help those who suffered for so long and didn't stand a chance. He was given his chance by his aunt, he wanted to give the others theirs.

He might have stared for too long, as he wasn't able to focus his eyes anymore. "Argh, stop watching me, creep" Ed grumbled and raised his upper body. He accidentally pressed his automail leg on Roy's ear when he moved and hit his knee with his hip bone. "How long have you been staring? You're annoying" he said and tried moving on his back.

"Ouch, slowly!" Roy hissed. Why did they have to always wake up like that?

"Take you fucking hand off my leg! Not that, the other! Yes, now the leg... like that... argh, that's my arm, you bastard!" Ed yelled in pain.

"Sorry! Ow, not like that... turn on your belly..." They twisted around till they disentangled. Roy sprawled on his back next to Ed. "Morning, sunshine" he said with a big smirk.

Ed waved his hand and turned Roy's face away from his. "Ah, you're indeed annoying. I've already told you to stop calling me that"

"So? Still my sunshine" Roy replied and turned back his head to look at the pouting blond.

"No way I can make you stop, right?" Roy nodded. "Okay, fine..." Ed sighed and kissed him. The older alchemist tenderly stroked his cheeks and kissed him again.

"What hour is it anyway?" Ed said and rose a little. He gasped and fell back on his belly, making Roy chuckle loudly. "You fucking bastard!" he yelled and punched Roy's shoulder lightly. "It's your fault I move like a broken car"

"And you can't even drive..."

"Like you can"

"I can, you know? I even have a licence" he smugly replied.

Ed threw him a murderous look. "I hate you" Roy smiled and rose up, revealing his full height. Ed stared at him for a moment, until the raven haired man started laughing. "Attracted?"

He waved his hand at the elder and replied annoyed "If you wish to tease me like an old pervert, at least help me up" Roy kneeled and offered his hand to the blond, who gladly accepted it and helped himself stand up with some effort.

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah..." Ed looked at the clock. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU WOKE ME AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING WHEN I FELL ASLEEP AT WHAT - FIVE?!"

"Four fifty-nine?" Roy offered helpfully.

"Argh, I truly hate you. I have a day off and that's what I get. That breakfast better be good, I feel like I've been crossed by a train" Ed said and rubbed his aching joints. Roy looked at his arms and asked with a concerned voice "Do they still hurt you?"

"Yeah, a little, especially when the weather is bad. The cold makes them worse, but I can manage that" Roy kissed the top of his head lovingly. "I'm sorry for that. Well, would you like to cook together?"

"How could that be a repay?"

"Shut up and come with me" Roy said and pulled the blond with him to the kitchen. "Let me dress at least!"

"Here" Roy said and threw Ed his boxers which were hanging on the coffee table. He carefully put them on and looked at the elder, who was waiting for him to follow. "You too"

"Why, feeling intimidated?" 'I'm really pushing my luck' Roy thought and greatened his smile.

"No, but don't give me any more reasons to castrate you with my bare hands" That killing gaze again.

"That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

"Not at all" Ed replied dryly and moved slowly to the kitchen, followed by Roy who was struggling to dress while walking.

"So... what should we make?"

Roy frowned, thinking. "I remember that my mother used to make pancakes for me and my father in the morning of the New Year's, so I think that would be nice"

"Sentimental bastard. Fine, I'd like some of those"

They prepared the meal together, fumbling a little with the dough. With much struggle, as they were more preoccupied with throwing the sticky composition at each other than actually cooking it, they managed to pull off a few crooked pancakes they ate immediately after being made. Laughing hard, Roy bit Ed's pancake and the blond got mad as usual. He snatched Roy's from his hand, stuffed it whole in his mouth and munched it greedily. "Twake 'at, 'ashtard" he mumbled with his mouth full.

They inhaled the food, rather than eating it. The atmosphere was so light and familiar, it was nothing of how either of them expected to spend the first day of the year. Alone in a bar and drunk as hell was the best case scenario, not at all close to the wild night they had. Almost revenge-like sex and pancakes in the morning was not in the plan.

The kitchen was in a rough state to say the least, but they couldn't care less. Roy pushed Ed in a wall and hungrily captured his mouth in a deep kiss, their tongues rolling around and entwining like they belonged together. They lost themselves in their embrace and played along with their most sinful desires. Roy cupped Ed's buttocks and lifted him up, the younger not wasting a moment to hug his waist with his mismatched legs. He felt so intoxicated by the older officer's presence that his mere touch made him unbearably hard and bothered. Ed made his point by grinding his clothed erection on Roy's also visible one.

Roy pushed the blond on the kitchen's counter and prompted his back on the wall by the sink. Ed moaned deeply when his heated skin touched the cold tile behind him. He threw his head back as Roy yanked off his undergarments and gently pumped his cock in long, languid moves. He kissed the bulging tip and immediately engulfed the leaking heat in front of him, sucking as deep as he could. His hand found its way down the teen's balls and then his arse, a little more welcoming than usual thanks to the last night's throughout preparation. A smirk formed around his lips when his fingertips got a touch of his own sticky cum still inside, the added pressure in his cheeks making Edward gasp and cover his mouth tightly. With another slow lick, he left the hard member fall from his mouth and turned his attention to ramming fast and precisely the puckered hole underneath, his hair being roughly captured by his partner's fingers. That encouraged him to go faster and deeper inside, the furious slurping noises echoing throughout the room.

Very much lost in pleasure, Ed lifted his flesh leg and pushed it in Roy's crotch, rubbing the tent in front of the loose pants with his short toes. Roy moaned in his ministration and decided it was about time to take things further on, before he made a mess out of his clothes without any real interaction. He backed off a little and made a grand show out of pulling down his pants, determining Ed to chuckle.

"Conceited bastard. Come here" the blond said and pulled Roy in another deep kiss. He opened his legs more and grabbed Roy's fingers, covering them in his saliva. Gently, he pushed two inside his hole. They kissed sloppily as Ed controlled Roy's hand inside him, frantically thrusting back and forth. Without much of an effort, Roy managed to insert a third, the heat sucking him in. Tiny white spots erupted in Ed's vision, making it blurry. He jerked his head back as he felt the fingertips prodding his prostate in hard but deliberately slow, repetitive motions.

"Now, or I'll kill you" Edward made impatiently and pushed the hand away from him. Roy lifted one of his eyebrows and smirked, not sure what to make of the statement. He didn't remember Ed to be so straight forward with threats. The danger in his voice was so arousing, sending shivers down his spine. "Really?"

With a look that read exactly what he's said, the blond grabbed the other's crotch and replied more playfully "Just watch me"

Despite his obvious desire of prolonging the intercourse with sweet touches and lovingly gestures, Roy complied and entered him slowly but lively. Ed shivered and threw his arms around the taller man's back, hugging him closely. Almost teasingly, the raven alchemist thrust nerve-wrecking gently. It took him a lot of determination to perform in that sluggish speed, and Roy's self-control was wearing out faster than he expected. Ed's face was contorted in pure bliss, lips slightly parted, half lidded eyes and ears red.

Seeing through the sweet treatment, Ed pushed himself down greedily, in rhythm with Roy's suddenly rough thrusts, their bodies attracted like different poles magnets. After just a few moves, his prostate was hit again and at that, Ed could no longer control his voice, breath coming out in loud grunts and moans. Roy kept on rocking his hips and rolling their tongues possessively, dominating all of his body with hard advances.

They kept moaning and grinding at each other, their lower regions succumbing to the intense pleasure they both felt from head to toe. The heat in their stomachs announces just how close they were to completion, waves of heat vibrating through their insides. Roy attempted grabbing Ed's forgotten erection, but his hand was waved away, the blond showing a little dominance the elder took eagerly.

The only coherent thought in Ed's mind, clouded by pleasure and the ringing in his ears, was showing Roy he could cum just by being thrust in just right, and he soon did just that, the semen spurting in thick ribbons. At that, Roy couldn't help but feel a little proud that he managed to bring his partner at his peak only with this little and he came hard inside his lover, his body curving over the smaller frame underneath him.

They kissed hungrily as they both rode out their pleasure and then looked at each other with teary eyes. They smiled dumbly and shared another loving kiss, this time less forceful, more like an innocent peck. Roy rubbed his pointy nose on Ed's and they laughed from the bottom of their hearts. "I love you, Edward Elric" he said and his lover's pupils dilated.

"You'd better, as I also love you and I'm not letting you go that easily" Ed blushed at his own bluntness, not recognising his own words.

'Look what you do to me, Roy, and you still questioned me' This thought wandered his mind, but he soon pushed it away, remembering he was being selfish after all the struggle they've been through. No wonder people considered him a little out of the normal line.

Roy sneered and retorted proudly "Like I'd let someone like you go" They once again sealed their lips in a longing dance, satisfied with their shared intimacy and feelings.

XXXXX

Roy was sipping quietly his tea when Edward's voice yelled "There's someone at the door!" Sighing, he rose up to his feet and walked to the door. He looked through the visor and smiled. He called after the blond and then opened the door to be greeted with warm voices intoning a holiday carol.

Ed stopped dead on the hallway's frame and hid behind it. He felt like a shy child who hid behind its mother's skirts in front of a stranger. The singers sung their carol cheerfully, the cold air from outside seeming a little less frozen. When they finished, Roy gave them some big pretzels, oranges and lollipops he bought the previous evening especially for that and some coins. He wished the children a happy new year with a lopsided smile. They thanked him happily and retorted the wish.

He watched the children go away and slightly bowed, as if picking up something. He slowly closed the door and turned to look at Ed, whose cheeks were beet red. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked and stroked his loosened hair. The blond nodded, a small tear threatening to stain his face. "I haven't heard a carol since I was a child"

Roy simpered sheepishly and thanked again to all the Gods he knew for the man in front of him.

However, in spite of all his feelings, Roy was not the kind of man to lose an opportunity. He mimicked lowering his head to kiss Ed and instead he smeared the fresh snow he hid in his hand all over his face. The blond blinked hard, not realising what hit him. With only a push of his mind, he frowned dangerously and jumped on Roy, sending them both on the floor. The larger man composed himself and flew through the door. He trapped more snow within his fists. Edward followed him and formed a large snowball he expertly threw forward, hitting his opponent in the shoulder.

Roy straightened his back and crackled his fingers. No time for being gentle, it was a battlefront. The two threw snowballs at each other, not really bothering with targeting first, both ending up on the ground, panting hard and chuckling.

"This has to be the most stupid way of catching a cold" Ed peeled off his drenched sweater and looked at Roy's clothes, which were equally wet.

"But it was worth it. The face you made when I smeared it with snow? Priceless"

The blond turned to face Roy and gritted his teeth. "It will be such a pleasure to watch your snots flowing off your nose while I hide away your handkerchiefs, and you won't be able to breathe. Wonderful"

"I bet you will make a great napkin"

"Don't you dare" Ed said and cracked into laughter. "What do you do to me, Roy?" The raven alchemist chuckled and rose up. He extended his hand to Ed and lifted him up, both heading inside for a long hot bath. On the pretext of not catching a cold, but they knew better than to believe that reason.

As he dressed down, the older Elric brother couldn't prevent his burning cheeks from smiling, thinking it had to be the best Winter Holiday he had ever had in his entire life.

XXXXX

Why was it so hot?!

Edward fidgeted on his seat in the train. He couldn't fall asleep as he always did on his journeys. His stomach was rambling even though he ate before he left home. He couldn't put his thoughts in order. 'And this dammed heat!'

In the morning, Roy made sure to wake him up rather early to catch the first ride of the day. The two of them were sharing a house, or better said Roy's house, and were known by the small team they had in Central as a couple. But only by them. And that was reason enough for Ed's nerves to slowly fry in his boiling blood.

Roy noticed from the morning his internal struggle and felt quite pathetic for not being able to stop it. Well, he could at least give it a shot "Ed, it's just a wedding, you know... everything's going to be alright" he said carefully. With Edward, you never knew when he would burst.

Thankfully, he didn't. He looked genuinely distressed "I know, I mean it's just my brother and my best friend, but I'm a little nervous... it's silly"

"No, it's not. I don't have brothers or sisters, but I understand how you feel"

Ed shook his head. "It's not that... I am just too happy about them..." 'Stupid feels, I'm not a moody little girl'

"Then what is bothering you? Care to share?" Roy offered. Ed stared at him and then averted his look.

"Oh, I see" Roy said thoughtfully. "It's not about them in particular-" he drew in a dramatic breath "-it's about us"

With his head down, Ed nodded. The General changed his seat in front of his lover with the one next to him and hugged his shoulders. "At that, I can't but share your uncertainty"

"Really? You don't seem like it" True to his words, Roy looked like he didn't put too much thought into it. He looked relaxed and fresh, his clothes neat and hair in its usual messy state.

He looked like when he was going to work, casually bored and with little care of the world.

"Yes, I can't disagree. But I find it strange, you see. I don't know if they will like this, you being with me. Alphonse and Winry know me, I can't say they don't, but I'm sure your brother would have wanted someone better for you, so of course I am uncertain"

"Hey, it's not about that... but still, how will he react?"

"We shall see. Well then, why don't we just enjoy our trip? The scenery during spring is indeed as nice as you said"

XXXXX

The spring was in its full bloom, all the nature showing it. The trees were green and the wind was gentle and relatively warm, preparing the land for the summer. At the Resembool station, Alphonse and Winry waited for their most important guests to arrive. Some months before, Roy eagerly accepted Ed's younger sibling's proposal of officiating his wedding and came as the future best man's companion. Sort of, at least.

"Brother!" Al greeted Ed with opened arms. He hugged his brother tightly, whom he didn't see since the previous year, and then he shook Roy's hand. Al had gotten quite tall and was almost the same height as Roy, much to his younger brother's chagrin. Why was he the one to always get the better end of the deal, he didn't know.

"How's been your ride?" Winry asked.

"Fine, thanks" Ed replied and put his arms around her waist in greeting. He stopped being so awkward with touching other people, so hugging family wasn't an extremely big deal. He could see Roy with the corner of his eye, smiling at his bold interaction. 'The damn bastard should keep his fantasies to him' Ed mentally scolded.

They went home where Pinako waited them with her usual scowl. "I see you still know the way here" she said. Den jumped on Ed and nearly threw him off his feet. "Easy boy" He nervously patted his head "Yeah, about that... I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier..."

"Sir, I hope he didn't slack off work" she interrupted and hugged her adoptive grandchild. Roy shook his head with an elegant smile and retorted smugly "Of course not"

XXXXX

It was great wonder how Ed managed to be more nervous than both the future spouses. Al didn't know where to put his brother's encouraging, and not so much, attitude. His sole worry seeing him in such high and also low spirits almost consequently was whether it will be the same when he would have children. He knew mood swings could be violent, and if his brother would act the same, he'd make a horrible uncle. 'What am I getting myself into?' he asked himself but shook off his uncertainty. It wasn't the time to think of 'ifs'. Nor for thinking about what an uncle or father or whatever Edward would be, when he wasn't even married yet. And why would Ed have mood swings?! 'I make so much sense, damn nerves' Al thought.

Thankfully, Ed's absolutely clueless uneasiness disappeared the very next day. He woke up late in the morning and looked as fresh as trodden snow. Everyone was already up and waiting for him.

"Good morning" he said and yawned. He sat at the kitchen table with his head on its surface, nearly dozing off again.

"Good grief, Mustang, what work did you give to the poor boy that he looks so worn out?" Pinako asked as she lit her pipe with a match. Roy smiled politely and poured himself more coffee.

He was the reason why Ed looked like a wreck that morning. Winry thought it would be a good idea to put Edward in his former room and Roy in the room next to his, and that resulted into a long white night. Until around four thirty in the morning, Mustang kept his lover awake by poking at him while he was trying to sleep, throwing dried pine cones at him, tugging at his blanket and then rambling nonsense. In the end, when he decided Ed wouldn't have any reasons to feel nervous (as his prime motive of acting like quarter his age was to calm down the blond, who was getting rather neurotic over nothing), Roy retreated to his room, in a cold bed without his personal heating pillow. How unfortunate. 'Well, then' he shrugged off the memory and stirred his coffee.

Another yawn erupted from Ed's mouth, which he clamped before resting his back on the chair's backrest. He opened it to say something most likely inappropriate, but Roy was faster "Before any holiday, work gets very cramped up, and we all had a hard time with some reforms and refunds that needed to be done as soon as possible"

Al nodded and said apologetically "I hope we didn't add too much pressure on you by inviting you two here for the wedding. I thought work would be slow"

"Don't worry, of course there's no problem. We are both really excited to be here" Roy said and then poked at Ed's shoulder. The blond answered groggily "Yeah" and then blinked a few times more, trying to wake all his senses.

Winry came spinning in the kitchen, her shoulders full of gowns and veils and some soiled clothes. She held between her teeth a large catalogue. She spit it on the table and threw the garments on an empty chair. She looked at Roy and took a sit in front of him, ready for business. "I need help with these" she patted the booklet and then saw Ed. "What happened to him?"

Roy smiled kindly and replied "Okay, let me see with what I can help"

Winry sprung off her chair and dragged Roy after her to choose some things for the wedding, most likely. Al watched them go, a small smirk adoring his lips. "Al, I might be almost dead to the world, but I'm starting to wake up. Your smile is creeping me out" He looked at Roy's coffee mug and took a sip of it and immediately spit it back inside, disgusted.

"Bleargh, milk!"

"Brother!" Alphonse laughed and shook his head at his older brother who was as well-mannered as usual.

XXXXX

The late spring wind was warm against Ed's cheeks, almost soothing. He sat on his back in the garden, under the tree he used to play in when he was little. His brother was next to him, looking at the clear sky above them.

The wedding preparations were going well and the mood was surprisingly relaxed and welcoming. It felt more like a family reunion than anything else. Ed had a great time with his siblings and Roy seemed to enjoy himself as well, planning with Winry the last moment details. Or actually the whole thing, as the young woman had absolutely no idea what to do in case of such an event, but having too much pride to let someone else to take care of it.

Who knew Roy would make such a good wedding planner. Perhaps he had chosen the wrong profession.

A bird flew from the tall tree and a few leaves landed on Ed's face. He gently shook them off and sighed. "You know, Al, I'm really happy for you"

Al smiled. "Thank you so much, brother, for being here with us. We all missed you"

"Hah, I missed you lots, too"

A comfortable silence slipped between them, leaving them to enjoy each other's company under the setting sun. The scenery was superb and rather nostalgic for the older brother, whose mind was somewhere else. He thought of his house in Central and his relationship. He was uncertain about his future, about his career, about his love. He was a very high ranked officer for his age, he was a well renowned alchemist and had the people's respect, his lover was aiming to become the next Fuhrer and they shared a lovely house they put a lot of effort into making it livelier. They had had a lot of fun renovating, changing the wallpapers and moving the furniture around. Ed offered to be the one to pay for groceries, while Roy was the one taking care of bills and other necessities. They went out as much as they could and developed a comfortable routine which still found space for some surprises of all kinds.

But despite all their happiness and spark, Ed was sure it was going to end someday. When he finally gave in and accepted moving in with Roy, he also realised that he was becoming a sort of 'tolerated' person. The dark haired man deserved better than a bad tempered blondie, who has just entered in his twenties, with half his limbs missing and with no capacity of offering more than what he had already given. He could fool anyone, but he couldn't give Roy the other things he supposed the man wanted. He saw him interacting with children, playing and telling them crazy stories, he saw how good he was with talking and flirting with women. He couldn't lose sight of that, no matter the trust he had in the other man.

But for now, he was happy in his pink bubble of oblivion. He wanted to believe things would always go the same, but he had high doubts. Maybe he should discuss this with Roy before it was too late. Before he was left alone and broken hearted.

Al patted his flesh arm. "Is everything okay, brother?"

Ed blinked at him a few times and then nodded. "Why wouldn't it be?"

The younger man gave his an incredulous look "You were staring at your arm like you wanted to cut it off"

"Ah, no, I was just thinking"

"Of what?"

"Nothing really. Simply contemplating the time" Al wanted to budge in the problem, but he decided to let it go. Instead, he changed the subject. "How's working beside Roy?" he asked, reminding himself to call the man by his first name, as he requested for at least ten times only that day, saying it was absolutely unnecessary to call your future best man 'Sir', 'General' or whatever honorary title and that he wanted them to be friends.

Ed didn't waste time thinking of an elusive answer "Not much like working under him, it's still the horrific amount. That man's a workaholic, despite his lack of interest. He freaks me out sometimes, you know?"

"Oh. He doesn't seem like the one to actually do something in the office" Al said, a tiny mischievous sparkle in his golden eyes. He started his brother talking. That was good.

"No, he stays locked up in there for hours and usually forgets to eat. He's so lucky to have Hawkeye as an assistant, she is very helpful. It's good that my latest assignments had been based solely on research and development of certain techniques, even though I sometimes work on law proposals and other errands for Roy. Nothing out of the ordinary"

"I'm happy to hear work is good"

"Yeah, it is" Ed nodded truthfully. He enjoyed what he did, especially since he was no longer treated by the people as a 'Dog of the Military', but as a simple person who happened to be an officer helping them. Sure, there were many who saw him as a hero after the mess from a few years before and there were others who saw him as another useless military personnel, but he was finally perceived as a human and not a vile enrolled creature that was used as a weapon.

"How're the guys in Central?" Al continued with his questioning. Ed was strangely happy with staying in the crowded city he once hated, and he wanted to know more. Not out of rudeness, but out of his pure sense of brotherly love, and a great deal of curiosity. He wanted Edward to be fine with his choices of life.

"They're fine as usual. Though some of them seem a bit finer"

Al crooked an eyebrow. "You mean?"

"Ah, I forgot to tell. I think Havoc finally caught someone in his sight"

"Havoc? The blond, smoking guy? I don't mean to be rude, but with his luck, I don't know what to say. Whatever, do I know her?"

"Of course you do, and quite well" Al frowned a bit and then looked at his brother with wide eyes. "Don't tell me..."

"Yup, that's the one"

"The Lieutenant? Are you sure?"

"That's what we think. Everyone in the office would bet their money on them. Roy and I think it's something going on, especially because Olivier told us how, at the New Year's party at Madam Christmas' bar, they were leaning on each other. And she also took a leave for this period, and you know she doesn't do that"

"Maybe she's just sick" Al tried to gasp all the information while finding a reason why Ed was talking so excitedly about a guess he had and why he was so familiar with everyone, especially the icy Major General. 'How much did I miss from his life? Where have I been all this time? Or does he want to push me out of his life?' he asked himself, remembering his brother's new scars he saw in the morning, when he was changing into a black shirt.

"Even when she's sick, she works. Last winter, she worked like a maniac when she had a cold. Roy was checking up on her periodically and was giving her instructions. Well, maybe hanging out with Havoc would temperate her and, who know? Perhaps she won't be pointing guns at people anymore" he chuckled low at the inside joke.

Al was downright shocked. His brother looked half amused, with his features relaxed, exactly like when their mother was alive and reading them to fall asleep. Also, that part left aside, Mustang giving instruction through phone meant an important operation, and that only meant danger. New scars meant danger as well. 'What the hell has he been up to?'

He chose to act amused by the telling. "Haha, yeah, that'd be great. Actually, I just remembered, have you gone with the guys out on the New Year's Eve?"

Ed started responding, but immediately remembered his night with Roy. It wasn't the time to announce his relationship, and he wasn't even sure if he should, after all his dark thoughts. He didn't want to worry Al over nothing. "Yeah, they dragged me out of the house. Couldn't escape them" he lied easily. It came so easy to lie to his brother, it was becoming concerning.

'And you heard from the Major General that the Lieutenant was leaning on Havoc? When you were there?' Alphonse made out of the blatant lies. 'Maybe he was just drunk'

"It's great you had fun"

"Yeah... sorry I couldn't come" Again, no need to tell him that by that time he had just gone out of the hospital after he had watched the man who put him in there being roasted by his lover, who was also his commanding officer. Absolutely no need.

"No problem" Al made and shifted back in the silence that surrounded them a few moments before, this time a lot more tense. It was like his brother had become more like a stranger. There was so much he didn't know.

XXXXX

Roy sat on the grass, in front of the kitchen's window. He stretched his muscles and listened to his bones cracking with great relief. He helped Winry the whole day with arrangements for the wedding and then with some automail models, more in the hope of learning how to deal with metal limbs. He wanted to be capable of helping Ed with them if he needed. He managed to find many interesting things, but in change, the bubbly blonde was unmerciful when she wanted something. No wonder she got along so well with the Elrics.

"Hey, mind if I join in?" Roy lifted his head and smiled at Al. "Sure" The younger man took a sit next to him and wrapped his arms around his knees, more for comfort purposes.

"I heard you've been having fun with the decorations" Al said, attempting to make conversation.

Roy snorted and replied "Fun, yes, I had, but I'm beat. Winry sure knows how to pull the soul out of someone" he chuckled. "She's a great young lady, I'm certain she'll be exactly what you'll need" he added, sounding a lot more crass than he intended. He wasn't good at making familial small talk.

However, the younger Elric took his words well and smiled. "Yeah, she has a talent at driving people insane when she has an idea she wants to put into action"

"I'd say that helped you over the years, so I guess she's done her job properly"

"Hah, yeah, sure thing. If pestering Ed and I was meant to be her job, she did fine with it" Roy nodded in agreement. He laid further down on the lawn. They both sat silently on the grass, watching the stars appear on the clear sky. Some time passed, none knew what hour it was, but Al decided it was the time for him to go inside. He slowly stood up and, before he left, he said plainly, more like a warning "Make sure my brother is well treated in the capital" With that, he left Roy alone.

Mustang smirked. 'Smart kid, starting to figure things out' He returned his gaze to the sky. 'What a beautiful night...'

XXXXX

The day of the long awaited wedding finally came. The ceremony had been short and sweet, the wedded pair being appraised with all sorts of compliments regarding their very good match. All in all, the day could be deemed a success.

As the officiator of the wedding and pseudo best man, after the ceremony ended and the small after party begun, Roy stood tall next to Ed, making pleasantries with the guests, all of them friends or neighbours. It was like a second nature to him, sugar coating his way to the people's heart by charming them with cheap bullshit. It wasn't the best moment to act so artificial, but he needed to leave a good impression to all of them. After all, he wanted to become their leader – they needed to see what a good person he was and how beneficial he could be. Rumours spread fast in small communities. It was all a political brainwashing tactic everyone seemed to enjoy.

Getting tired of Roy's sweet-talking, Edward left his side and joined his former alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis, who was chatting with some other ladies, all holding a glass of wine and laughing. The dour woman welcomed him in the conversation with a surprisingly bright expression.

XXXXX

"Ah, Edward, there you were" Roy interrupted the discussion with a polite smile. "May I steal him for a moment?" he asked the ladies that were almost drooling over him. He wouldn't admit that, but he felt a little jealous.

Ed followed him after he excused himself. He was lead to a remote spot behind the house, isolated, but not too far enough for not hearing the music. Impatiently, the younger man asked "What do you want?" Not bothering with an answer, Roy grabbed his hand and put a hand on his small back.

"What are-" he was engaged in a slow paced waltz, a little off tune, but gracious and elegant. He wanted to argue that he didn't enjoy dancing, that it was stupid, but the way Roy looked in his eyes, softly examining every curve and shadow on his visage, melted his heart a bit. Their feet moved by themselves and they fumbled around each other, their embrace closer and closer.

"You are so beautiful, Ed. Thank you" the elder said as he spun his partner. He was given an eerie glance. "I'm not beautiful, and I don't know why you're thanking"

"For the dance, obviously" Roy lied. He had so many to be thankful for, but didn't have it in him to say them.

"Whatever, just move your feet down there. Show me what you've got, Roy"

Over them, the night was getting darker and darker, but they were shining brighter than the stars.

XXXXX

The party took almost all the night, the last guests leaving sometime before dawn. Winry, Pinako and Edward gathered everything that needed to be washed in the kitchen and then sorted the many dishes by categories, making their next day job of cleaning them easier. Al, helped by Roy, cleared the lawn of chairs and tables, leaving outside only the things that needed to be disassembled. After he finished moving plates around, Ed also joined the other two men in their chores.

Perhaps it wasn't the time of the day to be cleaning after a wedding – it was barely six in the morning, but the family was restless. Al and Winry were practically glowing with excitement, everything surrounding them fading in contrast. However, a clean lawn was still a clean lawn, married or not.

Alphonse silently put the last table aside and looked at his brother, who was struggling with gathering the lanterns. The show was amusing indeed, the short blond jumping around, but the younger Elric's face dropped when he overheard the conversation that took place in the distance.

"Argh, why did they have to put the damn things so high?" Ed growled, stretching as much as his short body allowed him to get to the end of some poles. Roy came behind him and offered his help, but was reclined immediately by an angry looking blond. "I can deal with that myself. Go do something else, shoo!" he hissed, making the raven haired man laugh. "Sure thing, Major" he said after he looked around to make sure they were alone.

Ed narrowed his eyes "I'm not a Major" he averted.

"Nor tall"

"You did not call me- argh, go stick a broom up your ass, bastard" Ed said and waved off his lover who was grinning sheepishly at him. "Hm... Not sure it will fit" The short-tempered blond turned to face Roy with his best murderous glance.

The General smirked sweetly and saluted mockingly "Yes, Sir! Going to find brooms!" He disappeared before the blond threw a tantrum at him. Ed shook his head and sighed loudly "Idiot" and returned to his job of collecting the many colourful lanterns.

Al stormed inside the house, confused by the awfully intimate teasing. He knew his brother and his commanding officer always found a way to jump at each other's throat, but he never heard them talking like that to each other. He couldn't help but wonder when the two have gotten so close.

'Still not my business' he groaned and shook his head.

XXXXX

The morning light crept up on the starry sky, colouring it blood orange. Ed wiped off his moist palms on his dress pants and plopped on the grass under a pine. He was tired and sore after his dance with Roy, but didn't find the energy to go to sleep. He was so happy for his brother and he wished him and Winry all the good in the world, but his selfishness made him wonder if he'd ever live the same experience for himself. A wedding with guests and all.

Almost like hearing him fret, Roy showed up from the house with two mugs in his hands. "Coffee?" he offered, and Ed took a cup for himself. He tasted the freshly brewed dark liquid and let the bitter flavour linger in his mouth. That was the taste of a good morning after a night without any sleep. Delightful.

Roy didn't touch his drink and simply sniffed it. His features smoothened and his eyebrows lowered in contempt, allowing his mind to wander off. But not for long.

"I see you're kinda thoughtful. Doesn't suit you" Ed rudely interrupted Roy's morning ritual. The man smiled and finally took a sip.

"You know, Ed? I've been thinking-"

"Now you're even admitting thinking? What did you put in that coffee?" the blond looked at the mug like at a vile object. Roy snorted and offered his cup. "I don't know, want some?" he asked with a dubious glint in his eyes. He was rejected. "No, I don't want to know what's in there, really"

"Suit yourself"

Edward shifted in his spot, impatient to hear what Roy wanted to say. He felt a little dumb for interrupting him over something so trivial, but it was too much of an opening to insult the man to waste it. Fortunately, the older alchemist didn't need to be reminded of his sentence.

"It was a nice wedding, don't you think?" The blond nodded expectantly. Not hearing anything more from his lover, he said "What? Too shaken to talk?"

"Neah... I was just wondering if I'd ever get to marry"

Ed crooked a pale eyebrow. "I don't know, that's up to you"

"Yeah..." Roy said dreamily. "Who knows... Ed, would you like to marry one day?"

"Maybe, I have no idea. But I would like something really small, with plain rings and white flowers"

Roy smirked. He was getting precious information there. In his head, plans were forming.

"What about you? How would you like it to be?"

Mustang seemed surprised by the question "Me? I think I'd like a ceremony with only my team and closest friends invited, somewhere in a pub, say my vows in front of a bottle of whiskey and get drunk like hell after the whole thing, leaning on my partner and spending the honey moon in a continuous hangover" he said, not really putting too much thought into it. It sounded like a crazy teenager dream.

"That's promising"

"That's romantic, I tell you"

"What's romantic in that?!" Ed demanded and looked at him wide-eyed. Roy smirked and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pleased with their isolation. "You know Ed? I'm glad you are not underage"

"Huh?" the blond made dumbly. "Did the heat get to your head?"

"No, really. I might be going out with my subordinate and all the things that come with our relationship, but at least I can't be considered a paedophile"

"But you're old enough to be my father"

"No, I'm not!" Roy defended. "I'm not that old, come on!"

"No, you're not, but still you're an old stupid man" Ed lightly punched Roy's shoulder and grinned rudely. "Heh, but I like you anyway, old and ugly and... do you have wrinkles?" he said and grabbed his chin to examine the white, smooth skin of Roy's face. "No, Ed, I don't have wrinkles! And you think I'm ugly? That's upsetting"

"Neah, you're my knight in high leather boots. Hurry up and become a Fuhrer, so I won't regret spending my time with you" the younger alchemist teased and sat his head on his lover's chest. Their fingers intertwined in a strong hold. Roy planted a loving kiss on Edward's forehead and whispered against his soft hair "Always the opportunist"

"Of course" He lowered his eyes and squeezed the larger hand. "Um... will you stay with me even when you'll start getting tired of me? Or tell me at least when I'm becoming a nuisance?"

Roy's heart started thumping deliriously. "What are you saying? You're too precious to me to even consider getting tired of you. As long as you will want to stay by my side, I will never push you aside. We're a team, after all"

"Hah. Team 'Fire and Metal', that's what they called us, hmh?" Ed turned and looked in the obsidian eyes he came to fall in love with. Mustang hummed, pleased by the idea. Fullmetal's lips twisted in a large grin and he shook Roy's hand determined.

"Then you've got yourself a deal"

* * *

A/N: Tadaaaa! That's it for now, I will make things a little clearer in the next chapter, most likely.

I truly hope you enjoyed this chapter even a little bit. Let me know in your review, and don't forget to follow and favourite. Thank you so much for reading, it is very helpful and morale boosting.

Well then, bye bye for now!


	14. 14 - Secrets and lies

A/N: 'Morning, morning! I finally managed to post this chapter, which is almost as long as the former. It might look more like a filler, or something close, being based on thoughts and insecurities, but I hope you'll still enjoy it. There will be some swears (there always are), everyone is acting irrational and so on. Please don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! Thank you so much for reading!

Just as a side note, the action is happening a few months after the previous chapter, at the end of the summer.

No, on with the ride...

* * *

Chapter 14 – Secrets and lies

"Sign these too, Sir"

Roy let out a sigh. Another boring day for another substantial pay. He skimmed with practiced speed through the many papers that were resting on his desk like silent mountains or, more accurately, like sleeping monsters. He signed them as if he was in a trance and then put his pen down, the small glimpse of a well deserved break showing its head. At last.

"And these too" Hawkeye opened the door of his office and put some more paperwork on his now fairly empty desk.

He raised his eyes and smiled politely at the blonde soldier. "Thank you, Lieutenant"

'Damn!' he cursed under his breath. He was thankful with all of his being that the woman wasn't going to answer him that he's welcomed, because he could swear his head was going to explode from the repetitive action of signing documents. If he knew that meant to be a commanding officer, he wished he remained at making coffee for the old perverted colonels. It was far more interesting than scratching paper with ink.

His door was soon thrown open and a short silhouette entered like it owned the place, only to stumble in a box of finished paperwork that was strategically posed in front of the door. "SHIT!" the blond alchemist fell forward and landed head first in front of Roy's desk.

"Ah, a presence as always, Fullmetal" Roy bowed over the table top to look at Edward, who was fumbling with freeing his foot that stuck in the box.

"Fuck you too, bastard. Who puts boxes in front of the door anyway?!"

"Heh, insignificant details... doing well down there?"

"Just die already" Ed swore and threw Roy a murderous look.

"I know you love me, wouldn't that be a shame?" the raven haired General said and guiltily brushed some invisible dust off his coat. He should really stop pushing Ed's buttons.

"When I look at you, sometimes I wonder what the hell is going on with my brain" he grunted and put his hands on the table top. Roy pulled his arms up, helping him get on his feet. With much satisfaction, Ed noticed "I see you're doing very well under the papers... and to think I was going to offer my help... not anymore!"

Roy looked at him with big eyes. "Would you do that to me?"

Ed struggled to look mighty, but he gave in. "Clear me some space. I'm going to take a chair. You look too pitiable"

At that, the Flame alchemist jumped on his feet and snatched a chair and offered it to Ed. "You're an angel" he praised silently and returned to his seat. The blond sighed and produced a pen from his pocket and joined his lover in the copious amount of paperwork.

XXXXX

Hawkeye opened the door. "Sir, may I take-" she stopped when she saw Edward lift a finger to his lips to silence her. He moved the finger and pointed it at Roy, whose head was rested on the desk in deep sleep. Next to him, a big pile of documents were stored in perfect order, all signed and good to be used for their written purpose.

The woman curved her lips softly and nodded. She took the papers from the desk and whispered "I'll let you take care of him. But take him home later, I don't want to see him in the morning in the same spot"

"Alright, Lieutenant" Ed replied in a low voice. "He's been working like a maniac, but don't you worry! Now I have a new reason to yell at him. Thanks for your work. Goodnight and see you tomorrow"

She nodded her salute and left with a small smile. 'He's grown up so fast, that boy..."

XXXXX

Roy opened his eyes drowsily. He shifted in his seat, but he was soon stopped by the weight in his lap. Ed fell asleep with his head on his tight, not in a particularly comfortable position. He gently shook his shoulder, and the blond woke up in confusion. "Wha-" he blinked a few times and looked up to see his lover who had a gentle expression on his pale face.

"Hello" Roy whispered and ruffled his blond locks that escaped from his ponytail.

"Urgh, hi" he said and scratched his itchy neck. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but Roy' heat lulled him into a peaceful slumber. "What hour is it?"

Roy shifted his black eyes and searched for his pocket watch. He opened the lid and replied "Three fifty-two"

"Argh, damn. I didn't mean to sleep on you, sorry" Ed said and struggled to rub off the little saliva he left on the taller man's pant. He had a bad habit of opening his mouth when he was out cold.

"Don't worry with that, tomorrow is laundry day, anyway" Roy replied and kissed the top of his head. "I think we should go home"

"Yeah" Ed made and arranged his shirt, which creased in his awkward pose.

They walked hand in hand to their home as the streets were almost completely empty. The night was peaceful and moonless, the heat of the day long gone. It started to smell like rain and the leaves were getting yellow. Summer was leaving the Central City at a fast pace.

They returned to Roy's house, proudly shared with Edward for some considerable time. They lived a pleasant life together, both getting along better than expected. Each of them had their own house chores, the money saved from the lack of needing a housekeeper being used for going out almost every two other nights, sometimes daily when they had they had fairly quiet period at work. They even left the city from time to time, going where their finger first touched the map. Though it was not about the money in particular, because only Roy earned enough to overfeed an entire family of eight and probably two others, but about the principle of normality they tried to bring in their lives.

It was a good life for both of them.

The morning came too fast, just like it came every day. Both of them fell asleep the moment their heads touched the pillow, not bothering with cleaning or changing their clothes. They've been working hard, especially Roy, for making possible some agrarian reforms, much needed for the many farmers of the country. Edward, despite his attributions, helped his lover as much as he could with the legal part, taking care of almost a half of his other papers. Mustang complained half-heartedly, deep down happy with his aide, but accepted the generous offer. He knew he would burn himself out faster than his time if he continued surviving on two or less hours of sleep a day, most done during meal breaks, or sometimes not even during them. Any help was more than appreciated. And Ed has gotten really good at forging his signature that it would be a pity not to use him.

The first to wake up was the blond, whose side of the bed stood closer to the window. The light played on his heavy eyelids and startled him awake. He slowly lifted Roy's heavy arm from around his waist and left the warm bed. 'I should let him sleep some more, he looks like a ghost. Don't want him to turn into one, no' he thought and cracked a lazy smile. They were both tired, but a vacation was due to come very soon, anyway. They planned to visit Alphonse and Winry, now happily married for almost half an year, maybe put a flower on his parents' graves. Perhaps they could go to Roy's parents' as well... Ed wanted to pay his respects to them, after all, they were his lover's genitors. They deserved some respect.

He undressed and went in the shower. The steam clouded his senses like anaesthesia. He wondered whether Roy's parents would have liked him if they were alive. He was sure they knew about them from where they were; he didn't believe in any God, but he had faith that the soul wasn't wasted after death, maybe they were all next to the Truth, or maybe they still wandered or reincarnated. Whichever it was, he knew they were being watched by their deceased ones, no matter how it sounded.

Perhaps Roy's parents would have liked a high society woman for their son, someone who could give him a great family he could show off when he became a Fuhrer, to raise some black haired brats and send them to school and watch them grow and marry, have grandchildren. He felt selfish for taking away from Roy that possibility, but he wanted to pull off his dreamy romance as long as he could. After all, they made a deal never to leave each other.

All he could hope was to never break that deal.

The water turned colder on his skin. He rotated the water tape and dried himself. He put on some pants and then took a hairbrush from the bath cabinet. He walked on his toes to the bed and tapped Roy's arm slowly. "Come on, sleepy, wake up" He put more force in his push. "Hey, wake up, Roy" He gave up on treating him lightly. "Roy, wake the hell up or I swear I'm kicking you out of the bed, and you won't like that"

Roy grunted. "No..."

"And I'm supposed to be the one with the bratty attitude? Wake up, now. Now, Mustang!" Ed averted. Giving in, Roy lifted his head off the pillow and put his feet on the floor. Mechanically, he snatched some clean clothes from the dresser and paced to the bathroom, not completely awake.

Edward snorted. He enjoyed seeing the untouchable General so vulnerable, so sleepy and absent. There were very few moments he saw him like that, for he usually woke up too late, but the blond grew to like that touch of intimacy. He sometimes outdid himself and managed to be the first who got up just to stare at the sleeping older man, that much of a show was Roy in the morning, with his eyebrows low and slightly curved to follow the line of his long, barely opened eyes, with his black hair in any possible direction, his body moving like a broken toy, nearly breaking the bathroom's door with his head because he usually forgot he had to open it first. He was simply amusing to watch.

He descended and boiled some water for the coffee. He thanked the Truth for Hawkeye's good idea of leaving them doughnuts the previous morning, and he ate two of them almost breathless. That woman was their saviour in times like this. He should make some breakfast, but it wasn't that early to wait for Roy to finish with his morning routine to cook something. Ed gave up preparing any meals long time ago. He wasn't made for anything related to the kitchen. That was Roy's expertise, not his. He was far better at laundry, a domain where he excelled in comparison to the other, who would contemplate in front of a sock for hours, pulling it on his hand and playing with it. His eyes always widened in shock when a shirt was given the rough treatment of washing, almost feeling bad for having to treat it that way. He wasn't one made for cleaning clothes.

Roy came up behind him and hugged him closely, kissing his hair. "Morning, little thing"

"I'm so going to accidentally spill the kettle on you, bastard" Ed growled and shook off Roy's arms. "And good morning. Eat those and drink your coffee, it's in the blue mug"

"Thank you kindly" the General said and ruffled his hair playfully. His fingers stopped in the many knots that formed during the night. "You should brush your hair, you won't be able to tie it otherwise"

"Let me go, and I might be able to do just that. Sheesh, Mustang"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for the coffee" Roy said and sipped his coffee smiling. Ed left him alone to eat the remaining doughnuts, still pretty much edible. He supposed the blond would bring something to eat later at the office, not that he minded the food he had or that he felt like using him, but Ed was too worried for his own good when it came to his bad habit of eating, or actually the lack of this particular endeavour.

He was surprised when he heard a knock at his door. He looked at the clock to see it was still too early to be Hawkeye, or maybe she wanted to talk to him something urgent? He shrugged and headed for the door, swallowing the rest of his doughnut and bringing his mug with him.

He opened the door and widened his eyes at the sight before him.

"Good morning?" he asked more than said. At his doorstep, Alphonse stood straight, on his face a hint of worry.

"Good morning, sorry for coming so early in the morning..." a loud noise came from upstairs and interrupted the younger blond. "I hope I'm not disturbing something..."

"No, no, not at all. Continue" He prayed for Edward not to come downstairs.

Al nodded to him and then said "You see, Winry and I've just came last night, we wanted to surprise brother, but didn't find him at his usual hotel and I thought maybe you knew where he was..."

"Well, I don't know how I could help y-"

"ROY! WHERE THE HELL IS THE CONDITIONER?! YOU FUCKING MADE MY HAIR WORSE WITH YOUR STUPID HA-" Ed halted his yelling and stopped dead in front of the door, the brush forgotten stuck in his dishevelled hair. He had a towel on his shoulders, his shirt absent not to dirty it when he disentangled his hair.

'Fuck' he thought.

"Hello, brother" Alphonse said with his jaw clenched. Out of all the places he suspected to find Ed, Roy's house wasn't even on the list. The older brother looked sheepishly at him and then moved his eyes at his lover.

Roy wanted to bash his head in a wall. It was the worst moment to have the youngest Elric at his door.

XXXXX

_Half an hour ago, in a studio complex_

Hawkeye woke up later than usual that morning. She hurriedly dressed and ate some toast she found on the kitchen table, as fast as she could bring her jaws to masticate. She walked to Roy's house, thinking the man needed a walk to get started for the day. Or maybe because she also felt like dozing off, and doing that while driving wasn't an option.

She reached the Mustang residence shortly after. She readied herself to drag Roy out of the house, but she found the door half opened. She touched her gun holster for prevention. She pushed open the door and stumbled into Roy, who stood behind the entrance.

"Argh, I'm so s-" she stopped when she saw Roy's hard eyes. She peeked behind him and nodded shortly. "We need to go, Sir, otherwise we'll be late" she said and pulled the taller man out of his own house and closed the door behind them with a thump.

"Good morning my ass" he cursed barely audible and led the way, closely followed by Riza, as silent as a rock.

XXXXX

Edward led his brother to the living room. It has seen better days, it was filled with piles of books and papers were scattered everywhere, some empty mugs were placed on the small coffee table. Some clothes stood inertly on the sofa and some on the floor, some Roy's, some his. And they were quite some outfits, he couldn't just pretend he slept there because he had work to do. He was supposed to clean that very day, but fate decided to be once again cruel with him.

Seeing the rough state of the living room, and remembering the study's even messier appearance from some nights before, the older brother changed his way for the kitchen. At least that was more decent than the rest of the house.

Al took the seat he was offered and watched his brother put on the shirt Roy left him on the table. With a certain target on his mind, he put out a clean cup and filled it with fresh coffee.

"Thanks" Alphonse replied coldly, accepting the drink.

Ed took his red mug and put it in front of himself, on the table. He stood in complete silence. What was he supposed to say to his brother? That he was living with a man, who was as a matter of fact Roy, which meant, in other words - sleeping with his commanding officer? That wasn't a convenient talk.

"Brother" Al inquired eventually. Ed looked in his light caramel eyes. "What are you doing here?"

'Fucking my superior, nothing much' he wanted to say. 'I'm so disgusting, when have I become so vulgar?'

"Well, you see..."

"Don't lie to me. As far as I can see, you didn't tell me more than I thought"

More than he thought? On the phone, he definitely didn't sound like he suspected anything. Since when did his brother start having doubts about him?

All this time, he has been afraid to upset him, and just a small slip was threatening to destroy his hard-built facade. He wanted to announce him in another way, to show him how well he got together with Roy, not to serve him such a scene.

And he hated himself for lying to his brother for so long.

"I'm sorry, Al... you see..."

"Edward, all I'm asking is for the truth"

The damn truth he should have said long ago.

"How should I say it... Roy and I are..."

"Living together?"

"Yeah" It wasn't that hard, he noticed. He had in front of him his own flesh and blood, not some stranger. Sadly, it has been easier to talk to strangers about it.

Al leaned back on the backrest, sighing. "For how long?"

"For...for about an year" There was no need to lie, that was his brother. He should have faith.

"You mean... you mean you came to see us, came to our wedding, in our house, and didn't even bother to tell us, no, ME, your own brother, that you were with him? Oh... now it all makes sense"

"Alphonse, please... brother, don't be like that..." Ed pleaded, not sure what to say and what not to.

"That's why you didn't come for the Winter Holidays? That's why you said you had work to do? What work, Edward? Being a lapdog for your higher ranked?" Al lost his calm. He was so unnerved by his brother for hiding something so important, he became delirious. He had been worried sick for him, thinking he had problems, and he did what? Go behind his back like that?

"No, no, that's not it..." the elder tried to explain.

"Then what is it? Do you know how much I worried for you? I kept on waking up with the thought I would be getting a call about your early death, I was worried that maybe things didn't go well for you, that you were miserable! I searched for you yesterday, you know? I didn't find you at your usual place. I came to see you and spend some time together because I couldn't come for your birthday, to see what?! I'm so glad I didn't come then, who knows what I would've seen?! And-"

"Brother, it's not like that!"

"-then he walks out with his tail between his feet, after the Lieutenant, like the coward he-"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM A COWARD!" Edward said in a threatening voice that left his brother with his mouth opened. His eyes threw daggers at the younger man, the gold in them boiling with rage.

"You have no right to call him that" He didn't have any. He didn't know that the man almost died protecting him, that made sure he was well healed, that dressed his wounds, that eased his nightmares. He had no right.

"No matter how friendly he might be, you know he is using you, right? He's as low as he could get" Al was no longer thinking clearly. He was blinded by an anger he didn't know he had hoisted deep inside.

"No, no, no. You have no right to say that, you don't know him. You know nothing about him!"

"Yeah? How so? He's a freaking womanizer and manipulator who uses people as he sees fit and-"

"HE FUCKING ISN'T!" Ed said, himself losing his temper. That was enough. When did his brother become so unreasonable? He had Roy officiating his wedding, he had him in his house, yet he spoke like that? What was in his head?

"I know him better than any. There are no women, there are no flirts, there are no great escapes! The only women who ever call him outside of work are Hawkeye to call in sick or to report, his aunt to ask when he'd visit her, and Major Armstrong's sister to complain about instant coffee! He is a damned depressive loner who has a dream! And he shared it with me, his past and his future, his problems and his fears! We've been through so many, I don't know where to start! You don't know shit about him, Alphonse!"

He stopped breathless and stared at his brother. He didn't remember when he started yelling, he didn't realise when he stood up and spilled his coffee on the table. It was as if his primal instincts surfaced and he had no control over them. Over himself.

Al simply gazed. He didn't recognise the person in front of him. It was no longer the petulant kid with great heart and almost sickening sense of justice. It was a mature man with so much to say and too little words. He grew up, and he hadn't been there to see it.

But Roy had seen it. He stood by his side. Who knew how much they had to hide?

It was not his clear mind thinking, it was the blinding jealousy.

Ed seated back on his chair, his features poisoned with guilt. He covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Al... I'm so sorry" he recited like a mantra. He was desperate.

"Brother, I..."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, please forgive me, but don't do this to me... please" Ed almost begged. With watery eyes, Al asked "Do you really care about him?"

"I fucking love that bastard!" he replied, his voice coarse and tired.

"But does he return your feelings? Do you know that?"

"He jumped in front of that maniac when he tried to murder me, and almost got himself killed! What the hell do you think?"

"He did what?!" Al demanded in shock. When did his brother almost get killed? He didn't remember hearing any of that.

"Last winter, when I couldn't come at your place, I wasn't fooling around, fucking him or what the hell you were thinking" Ed started angrily. He never used such words with his brother, he felt so low. He wasn't like that, but he frankly didn't know how to phrase his thoughts. There was no time for sugar coating the truth. It was too late for any of it.

"True, I've spent most of the year's end with Roy. In a hospital" He rose to his feet hastily and pulled up his shirt. He patted his chest "Here, stabbed and burnt" he pointed at his stomach "Other burn marks" he moved to his waist "Bruises. And there is more, if you insist."

"What happened? Why didn't you tell me? I thought-"

"I couldn't, and I can't. It is exclusively between me and Roy, and talking would violate his will. He is the only one who is entitled to talk. All I can tell you the threat has been eliminated" Ed cut off his brother. "But the rest is true, and I've never wanted to worry you"

Al sighed. He didn't know what had happened to him. If he did, he wouldn't have insulted him like that, he would have understood and comforted his brother. He would have been by his side during his recovery. All of his anger was unfounded. Edward had been wrong for hiding what happened to him, but it was his fault for not realising that all he did was to protect him from unnecessary worries. And he didn't want to tell him about Roy because it was too much of a delicate subject.

He should have known better.

Looking at his brother, he saw a worn out young adult who shouldered more than any. He took him away from work for his wedding, and oversaw how anxious he had been for him in the past. How much he wanted him to be happy.

And with a few words, he managed to dismiss of Ed's happiness just like one would throw out garbage.

"I'm really sorry, brother, I didn't know... I-"

"No, Al. It is my fault. I've been lying to you. You didn't know. I'm sorry for yelling, I don't know what've gotten into me... I'm just tired, last night I came home at four in the morning after I've spent most of the day at the headquarters. Roy's been working inhumanly hard, he barely slept in the past few months. He's building bridges with the other nations and making reforms for his upcoming promotion, and I'm helping him with routine paperwork. I just try to take his mind off work and remind him from time to time that eating and sleeping are things humans do, while he gives me a reason to wake up in the morning and make coffee. That's all I have, brother, and I don't want to lose him too"

It was so clear it hurt. Al abandoned his brother and found his own happiness somewhere else, without him. He didn't know he felt so lonely.

"See that thing?" Ed pointed at an empty glass system that looked like a distillatory. "Some months ago, one of Roy's acquaintances sent him a lot of plums. We had no idea what to do with them and, one night after we finished our previous project, we went out with the team at his aunt's bar, came back positively drunk and he thought it was a good idea to make some more booze out of the plums. We used the freaking bathtub to squash the fruits, and I don't remember much after that, but I know we've woken up with way too much drink, way too powerful and somewhat sweet, with a house in complete disaster, with that glass thing and some vases missing. And a massive hangover. But that was so much fun"

"Oh" he remembered. "Last winter, after our wounds healed, we cleaned all the walls and repainted them. We've put wallpaper and rearranged the whole house. It was messy, but we managed to make this thing look somewhat like a place where people live in, not a museum piece. Maybe this sounds irrelevant, but this is my new home, Al, that's what I have now" His eyes read despair as he repeated the last phrase. He looked like someone who was hanging on hope, not ready to let go of the strings.

And Alphonse has just attempted to take that away.

"Are you happy with him?"

Edward looked in his brother's eyes intently. He answered truthfully "Yes" There was no lying about that.

"And do you think it'll work out between you two?"

"As long as he will have me, I will stay by his side. He is my new reason, and I'm his support" 'And we made a promise' he reminded himself.

Al looked at him once more before he sighed and took his hands in his. "Then, brother, I am happy you found your reason"

XXXXX

Winry tiredly looked at the door. She wasn't made for travelling for so long, the train ride has been too much of a strain after all the work she has done in the past few months. During summer, many automail limbs dilated far too much for their capacity, and many users chose her shop to adjust their prosthetics. She was currently working on a model that accommodated any type of weather and her dream was slowly becoming reality.

She limply moved out of the bed and landed on the sofa in front of the window. It was already sometime before noon, she noticed from the position of the sun, high on the blue cloudless sky. She looked around herself with surprise. Where was her husband? He said the night before he would go out in the morning, something about Ed, but he should have come back by then. Oh, she remembered. They were supposed to find Ed... 'Late birthday surprise, yeah...'

"What are those two blockheads doing?" she asked out loud the wrench in her hand. She forgot it in her pocket. She looked at it and nodded. "Yes, we should go out and look for new parts" With a snort, she chuckled. "Now I'm talking with a tool, ain't you a good friend, wrench?"

She jumped from the comfortable cushion and opened the window. The hotel's garden was beautiful and well kept, big bushes of red and white roses adorning the lawn. Some other flowers were grouped in small curvy forms, leading to a tall fountain.

They checked in at a nice hotel for their stay, not wanting to bother Ed with their presence. She suspected the alchemist had a lot of work to do, and the last thing she wanted was to be a nuisance in his schedule. She was certain her friend would never find her as such, but she wasn't that much of a bad person. And about his view on his brother, she didn't need to worry.

The door opened with a low sliding sound. She looked at its generic direction and smiled. "Finally, where have you-" she stopped and looked at Al, who had the grave air of a corpse. "What happened? Did you find Ed?"

"Yeah..."

"And? Shouldn't you be happy? How's he been?"

"Yeah, about that.." he made with a grimace. "It's such a complicated story..."

Winry straightened warily. "Is there something wrong with him? Is he wounded? Is he... dead?"

"No! No, of course not!" Al settled her. Leave Winry to worry for everyone. "No, he's alive and well, it's not that"

"Then?"

"What do you say about some breakfast? I didn't get to eat" he said and mimicked for the door. With a questioning look, she went in the bathroom to change her clothes, thinking of possible scenarios regarding his sour mood. She only could hope there were no problems between the brothers. It wouldn't do.

XXXXX

Edward fussed with putting his boots on. He was so angry and frustrated, he felt like strangling someone with the laces. He felt ashamed and humiliated. Al wasn't supposed to find about his relationship like that. They were the ones who should have told him, covering the prohibited act in a fairy tale. Another lie next to other lies, that is, but it would have been a more beautiful lie.

He looked like a slut, yelling after Roy, half naked in his house. He was not, he was the man's lover, wasn't he? Or that's how he thought. Still, if it would have been like that, maybe the raven haired would have stayed with him, trying to explain their situation. He was the best at dancing around the subjects and making shit seem made of gold. Because that's how he felt right then.

He wondered if his brother was upset. Betrayed? He knew he would be, if he were Al. The younger Elric must have been hurt by his lack of trust and honesty. They were supposed to share everything and anything, to fight their problems together, like they've always done. And now, he was the one to distance himself from their relationship. He doubted Al would have looked at him disgustedly if he told him when it was the moment, and didn't hide it from him. He even acted nice with Roy at his wedding, knowing how much it meant for Ed.

Yes, that was the word. Disgust. He was disgusting and vile. He discarded the only blood sibling he had left. No, they were no longer siblings. Al might have looked forgiving, but it might as well have been an act. The younger man didn't deserve such a treatment, he was far too kind and loving for that. It was Ed's fault he landed in a suit of armour, but Al never complained. It was his fault he suffered, but he always said he would support him in his quest. He never complained, and Ed returned his trust with lies.

The person to whom he dedicated his childhood was now no more than a stranger, and it was his entire fault.

XXXXX

Roy bit his pen nervously. He wasn't able to focus on work as he sloppily signed the papers on his desk. His head throbbed like it was about to explode and his blood ran fast and hot through his veins. He wondered how Ed was doing. He felt guilty for leaving him like that, but, at the moment, it seemed like the only way. He would do more harm than good if he got between him and his brother. He was an intruder in their family, after all, and deserved none of their compassion. He dragged those boys through hell for the selfish act of promoting himself on the excuse of helping them, until he fell for one of them, and now it was his fault for ruining their bond.

He knew for a fact that Al wasn't excited about their relationship. His brother was better than that, but still chose him.

"Sir? The Fuhrer is requesting for your presence" Hawkeye announced from the door. She felt like, if she made another step inside, she would be chocked by the tensed air surrounding her commanding officer. She wasn't sure why he was so shaken, she could only assume, but it didn't look good. Not at all.

Roy lifted his head from his paperwork and nodded. With a sigh, he put the pen down and slid from the chair. He straightened his back to a painful extent, his height growing slightly, and paced solemnly to the door.

He was at work. There was no room for distraction.

XXXXX

Winry sniffed her herbal tea with a great smirk. It smelled heavenly, the sweet fragrance of the forest fruits combining harmoniously with the earthy scent of the green tea leaves. She experimentally took a small sip. Its taste was even more divine.

In front of her, Al stared at his black tea like he wanted to murder the cup in a slow, painful death. He absently chewed on his pastries and played with a napkin. More like tearing it in languid, sadistic movements.

He was confused by Ed's confession. He suspected something was wrong with him, avoiding talking about anything of major importance, trying as much as he could to be evasive in explaining, but he didn't expect the secrecy to run that deep. He saw how Roy and Ed looked at each other when they thought they were alone or nobody watched them, but it was for such a short amount of time he couldn't quite put his finger on a certain label regarding those two. He had a hunch that the tension oozing from the subordinate and the commanding officer was a bit less platonic than they left to be seen, but he didn't think it was like that.

Lies and secrets left aside, he was only left with deep worry. He was bothered that, at any moment, Ed could be harmed by his dangerous ties. He said the bastard was dead, whoever he was, but if one attempted an attack to his security, some more could happen sooner than later. That meant he wasn't completely safe, as he pretended to be.

And there was Roy. Did the man really look at him how he was being seen by Edward? Were his brother's feelings really shared? Was there any love at all? Or was the older man just using him for some selfish needs? He knew what Mustang was capable of, he knew about his ruthlessness and unscrupulous nature, he had seen it in front of his eyes. That officer would do anything to accomplish his goals, and the living proof were his crew members. They were so absorbed with executing his orders, their minds would probably stop functioning without them. They were all indebted with something to him, he supposed, and that kept them loyal.

That was cruel. None of them had that kind of relationship with their General. They volunteered to help him and saw him as their mentor and friend. And Ed also saw him like that. But, if his first assumption was true, and the man was no more than a manipulative sociopath, what was Edward's role in the grand scheme? What was his purpose there?

What if he really didn't have any reason to be there? What if he would be thrown away, just like that? That was unreasonable judgement, but it could be true. He didn't know what to think anymore.

The blonde woman eyed Al's broken moves carefully. She sighed deeply and recited monotonously. "Al, if you keep on looking at that poor cup like that, it might shatter"

Al lifted his eyes confused, not realising he was staring at the cup. He was so deep in thoughts, he forgot where he was.

"Okay, stupid boy, what is wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost and you've been acting irrationally all this time. You look like you might want to stab someone!"

Al snorted, struggling to keep a small smile on his face. He just couldn't. "Sorry, I'm just tired. Seems like you were right, I should take things easier"

"Of course I'm right. Now, spit it out. What's up with Ed? It's him, right? You do remember why we've came here?" she averted dangerously. Her husband looked at her incredulously. She was so feral sometimes.

He sighed. "I went in the morning, like you've suggested, to Mustang's house, to ask him if he knew where he was. He mostly said that he didn't know, but then Ed showed up behind him, fussing with a brush or something"

"So?"

Al lifted his eyebrows. "So? You don't see? I mean, his house was full with Ed's belongings, and it seemed-"

"Al, you're so overprotective! And you two were accusing me that all I do is worry!" Winry exploded, making some of the coffee shop's clients eye her suspiciously. She shook her head and rose to her feet. "Come on, we're eating while walking" Al looked at her with a pastry hung in one hand. "Come on, we need to talk, and here's not the place"

They left the shop and walked silently to a small park close to their location. They seated on the warm, clean grass. Gathering her feet under her, Winry propped her head on her palms and leaned forward to look in Al's eyes. "You may continue"

Al was at a loss of words. The usually cloud-headed blonde was suddenly so serious and professional he nearly didn't recognise her, and that sent a cold shiver down his spine. "Well, as I was saying... I found brother at Mustang's house, and it looked like-"

"They're lovers? Fuck buddies? Share an apartment – well, house, whatever?" she deadpanned. She was anything but a patient person.

"Huh?"

"Man, you're so smart, but sometimes you can be such an idiot! Sheesh, Al, do you think Ed is a saint or something? Of course he would get, sooner or later, someone to be with! It's only normal, dumb head! There's no need to monopolise him or something!"

"No! Of course I want him to find someone nice, and I've never thought of monopolising him, but I never would have guessed that he would... would..."

"Sleep with Mustang? Spend his money? Trash his house? Do his laundry or what the hell he's doing there? Come on, you need your eyes checked. Those two have been jumping at each other's throat since forever! Of course it changed into something less friend-like, I mean, even a blind man could see the damn sexual tension between them! It was palpable! It was only obvious they would jump in each other's pants sometime soon! Sheesh, have you never heard of such thing, you know, like pent up frustration or attraction or, I don't know, lack of a hobby?!" Winry said in a breath. Damn, Al was so stupid when it came to his brother.

"Win, don't be so crass! Of course I heard of that, but not with him! Not with that man!"

"We decided to invite him at our wedding as an honour guest, and he helped us so much, and you think that of him? Don't forget, he was the one who pushed you forward when you stumbled years ago, he gave you a chance to get closer to the truth! You regained your body because of him! Well, sort of"

"Yeah, but-"

"No 'but'!" Winry cut him off. "Tell, me, Al, how did Ed look when he told you that? How did he talk? I bet he was enamoured with his words. By the way, how long?"

"How long what?"

"Dummy, how long have they've been together, or what the hell they are doing in private?"

"He said about an year" Winry slapped her forehead and shook her head disapprovingly. "For that little? They sure piled a lot behind them. I thought they've been doing it for longer. I mean, wow, one year only?"

"Winry, how can you be like that! That is... argh! I'm just worrying for him! He told me he couldn't come home last winter because he's been in hospital!"

Winry snorted. "What, too much of a strain on his body? Well, seeing how tall he is, I bet Roy is really bi-"

"Winry, just stop! Just stop" Al made and covered his face. He rubbed his temples and then put his hands on his lap. Suddenly, waves of exhaustion washed away the little energy he had. The past few months have been rough, the planning for his new job as a teacher being really tricky. He managed to do it, however, and the final result looked flawless. Children would love his classes, he was sure.

"He told me his life was put in danger, that someone, apparently related to Mustang, tried to kill him. From what I've understood, the individual is dead or in a state close to it. That is what bothers me, beside everything"

Winry leaned back on her elbows. She looked up at the sky, contemplating her words. "I see... have you thought that maybe he didn't want you to know? I understand you, really, it infuriates me that he didn't tell us about this whole affair, but you do realise you would've panicked if he told you he was injured. He was, right? What I'm trying to say, I would've been rather erratic if I heard about it, and most likely I would've strangled Roy a bit and hit Ed's head with a wrench a few times"

He measured her with his eyes. "You say it is better?"

"Perhaps, I don't know. And about him and General 'I'm so fabulous' – I think they wanted to live for a little while the thrill of a covered relationship. You know what I mean, don't you?"

He sighed all-knowingly. "You might be right" Winry shook her head and took his hands in hers. "That's why I'm the woman in here" She leaned on her back. "I don't understand how males can be so freaking stupid. It is in every fucking species. Do you?"

Al chuckled and laid next to her. What could he say?

Life as a suit of armour had been so simple... what was wrong with humans, making their existence so complicated?

XXXXX

Roy knocked at the office door before entering. A blow of warm aromatised air blew in his face, making his stomach churn. He looked around the jungle that was labelled as 'Fuhrer President E. Grumman'. That room looked more like a drugs smoking room than an official office, with the ever present ferns in big pots and queer looking statuettes.

What an old foxy character, that con of a man. That's exactly what Roy appreciated in his military mentor – he knew how to fool the untrained eye. He wasn't young anymore, but he was as sharp as ever.

He wondered what the man wanted with him.

"Sir!" he saluted sternly.

"Dammit, Roy, stop with the formalities! I've seen you spoon-fed and sponge bathed. I can take worse, like you pulling out that stick!" Grumman gasped. "Come on, take a seat"

"Thank you, Sir"

"Roy..."

"Fine, fine, I'll be seated" Roy said and accepted the offered seat. "What is the reason of your sudden summon?"

The old man sneered. "Frankly, I can't tell you the reason without lying, because there isn't one. But I think I wanted to congratulate you on your very hard work" he said and leaned on his elbows thoughtfully. "It appears to me that you started making moves of your own"

"On this matter-"

"No, no, no need to explain yourself. It is good that you took your role seriously and you decided to act independently. Don't stop, I'm not hindering your work, I support it, as long as it is within my reach. Just don't cross the line and have unexpected repercussions"

"I wouldn't even think of such"

"Good, very good, son. I'm starting to think you are getting closer and closer to the moment you will be able to make a stand and get in my place. What do you think?"

Roy's eyes twitched imperceptibly. Yes, the command was closer than ever, and he felt it in his very breath. The people were seeing him as a good future leader, and they were being supportive. He was already a hero of sorts. "I believe there is no rush into even considering going higher on the hierarchy. You make a better leader than anyone, Sir"

"Nonsense. I simply took advantage of the situation, after Bradley died. I merely warmed up your seat, Roy, we both know that"

"That is not within my attribution to speak"

"Yes, you and your dignity. I get it, I get it. But there is only one thing that really bothers me, the thing that doesn't let me to give you my position just yet"

"When the time will come, we all shall know" Roy replied diplomatically. He didn't need any pats on the back or praise, he only needed to be left alone to make a good impression on the masses. Or simply be left alone. Apparently, it was too much to ask.

"Indeed we shall. But let me tell you a story. When I was just a stupid teenager, there was a girl I was head over toes with. She was beautiful, kind, just the kind of woman any man would want. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who was looking at her that way. There were so many who courted her, I don't have enough fingers to count. I had no hope to even think I could get in her graces. I was too embarrassed to talk to her! Years passed, and she didn't choose anyone to date. She was the same flower, without a gardener to cut her wittered leaves. Independent and certain on her feet. One day, during lunch at the academy, she came to me. You see, she was a trainee as well. We took lunch together, and the whole meal I struggled not to throw up from the excitement of being able to talk to her. She was divine, I'm telling you. Long story short, because there's no need for me to bore you with my old school romances, I found it in me and I asked her out. We started dating, and, two years after we graduated, I asked her to marry me. Years later, she gave birth to Riza's mother, and if I may say – I've been the happiest man on the planet. I was so sad when my daughter passed away, and a part of me died as well when my wife left the land of the leaving, but they kept me going, even in death. They gave me a reason to live, to go on"

He looked deep in Roy's eyes. "The point of my long story is that not work kept me going forward, not my intellect, not my resolve. But the people I gathered around. Roy, this is what you are lacking. This is the only thing that doesn't allow me to promote you in my place – you need to find those people. And not a team – you have one and you work very well with it, but someone to give you a reason to wake up in the morning. If you will be able to accept this truth and welcome it in your life, then you will be fit as a leader. Empathy, my boy, is what you are lacking at times"

Mustang's eyes turned a few shades darker, if that was possible. He looked down at his hands. A reason... he had a reason in life. To become Fuhrer and continue the blooming of his country. But he wasn't sure he had someone to celebrate it with. Someone who would wait for him at home and lean on when things got difficult. He thought of Edward, who he was determined to protect with all he had, but he didn't know if the blond would agree to stand by his side for that long. Maybe it was just a passing folly, not the love he hoped it was.

He needed to find out.

"And Roy? You should really make a stand if you want to keep that blondine close. He might be the loyal type, but you never know"

'Ah, thank you for reading my mind, old man' Roy thought and smiled.

"Sir, I shall consider you advice"

"Well, you should" Grumman said and dismissed his protégé with a grin. 'Youth, so beautiful and foolish'

XXXXX

"ACHOO!" Roy sneezed powerfully, scarring Hawkeye who was patiently shuffling through some documents.

"Bless you?" she said surprised. "Did you catch a cold, Sir?"

"I don't know, I might have. Who knows?"

"You should be more careful with your health, it wouldn't do to burn out before you reach your goal"

"Yes, Lieutenant, I shall mind that. So, did we get the support from the brass?"

"Obviously, you've been very persuasive. Oh, and I think this would be all for today, I have no more papers for you"

Roy smiled. He was getting tired, his mind twisting and turning when he thought of what Ed accomplished with his brother. He couldn't wait to see the blond and listen to the day's events. He hoped it all went well, though he doubted it. If it contained Edward's name in it, it wasn't going to be an easy fight.

Hawkeye let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her superior was starting to act his normal careless way, probably meaning things became clear once again. She wasn't especially keen on finding out what happened that morning, and she didn't want to know what her grandfather told him either. It was better to live in oblivion than to know what those mad men had in store.

A loud knock resonated through the room. She turned on her heels to open the door, and that with great surprise. "Good evening, Lieutenant! Is Mister Mustang in here?" a loud feminine voice echoed.

Roy moved from his seat to look at the door. Winry stood with her hands around her waist, expectantly. So much for going home.

"Yes, I am here. Lieutenant, thank you for today. I will see you tomorrow"

"Sir" Hawkeye saluted and left them alone to talk.

XXXXX

_Five hours before_

Winry straightened her white top and pulled her pony tail a little higher on the top of the head. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and then out. She opened her eyes.

She was ready for action.

Al left for the library, from where he wanted to research for some books he couldn't find in Resembool. On the pretence of going to search for automail parts, Winry headed straight to Roy's house, where she supposed she would find Ed, if he didn't go to work. She could at least try. After putting some sense into Al's head, she needed to do the same with his brother. He hated seeing them at each other's necks.

She has never seen Mustang's residence before, but she knew it was somewhere close to the headquarters, in the higher class neighbourhood, where houses were quite expensive. With a bit of wandering around, she found a holding that screamed Roy from miles away – a nearly isolated in plain sight one-story house with a large garden far too well kept for one to actually spend time in. It looked more like a catalogue building than anything. She saw a nice looking old woman talking to a child and asked if it was the house of an officer. She nodded and told her a General was living there, as far as she heard.

She jumped the fence, not bothering with opening the gate with her picking locks. Screw the laws of trespassing, she was a woman with a mission. At a second glance, she noticed it was opened, and that only meant someone was home. What a sheer luck.

She clenched her hand in a fist and knocked at the door. She looked at the doorframe and saw a bell, which she pushed after. She should be more attentive at obvious details, she reminded herself.

After some thumping sounds, the big door opened to reveal a pissed blond haired man. He widened his eyes "Winry? What's with you here?" he gathered his arms over his chest. If she wanted to make a scene as well, he swore he would-

"Nothing much, just talk. May I?"

He sighed. "Sure, come in. Pardon the mess, it's the first time I'm home for more than ten minutes in a long while"

The mention of 'home' made Winry smile uncontrollably. He saw that place as his own, how could she not be happy he found a way? Whatever it was.

"I missed you, Ed" she said and hugged her friend tightly. He returned the hug reluctantly, not sure what was the reason of the sudden appearance.

"Don't worry, silly, I'm not here to scream at you. I've spent the whole morning screaming at Al, I just don't feel like doing it anymore"

He chuckled. "That's the Winry I know"

"Duh, I'm the only one. Actually, do you know anyone with this name?" she asked sheepishly. He snorted and caressed her shoulder. "No, obviously. Want something to drink?"

"If you could make me a coffee, you'd be my personal angel"

"Got it" he said and left for the kitchen. Winry pulled off her leather boots and looked around herself. True to his words, the house has seen far better days in terms of tidiness. It wasn't dirty, but in quite some disorder. It looked like a small tornado passed through there, clothes and various objects were scattered all across the large rooms of the holding. Underneath the mess, the house seemed nice and well equipped, really cosy. She chose to enter a room that looked like a living room, already cleaned. She wondered around, looking at the decorations and furniture, until she saw another door.

In the kitchen, Edward poured the coffee in the service cups. It might as well have been his fifth cup of coffee, or more accurately his first, as for the first two drinks, he drank them from a mug, and the next two directly from the pot. He didn't know what to do with himself, so he just drank coffee to strain his nerves even more. He started cleaning the mess him and Roy managed to make during the past month. He should set the alarm earlier, they always ended up trashing the house in the mornings and didn't find the time to clean it later.

He walked to the living room, thinking he would find his friend in there. She was nowhere in sight. Light crept from underneath the study's door, so he went there.

He found the blonde looking at the many photos hanging on the walls. There were some new ones, with him and Roy in the most stupid poses they could get their bodies to make. On his cramped up desk, a large frame stood proudly in the middle, held into position by a pink unicorn. Winry wondered how the plush ended up there, but it wasn't her place to question.

The frame, red with blue dots, most likely painted over, held a picture of Ed, well wrapped in a long red scarf, almost lost in his heavy coat. Roy held his chin on top of his head, clearly mocking his height, and had his own dark blue scarf tied around the blond's arms, lifting them up like he was a puppet. Ed's left hand, clothed in a fluffy two-fingered glove, was planted under the taller man's chin, like he tried to push him away. The two figures were smiling dumbly to the camera, their happiness almost vibrating out of the distasteful frame. It was like it didn't show a picture of a cold winter, with big snowflakes pilling on their shiny hair, but a torrid summer. It was overwhelming.

"You two sure look stupid" she said absentminded. "I think it's cute"

"Hm?" Ed made and gave her one of the cups.

"Yeah, I mean you look good together. He's tall and handsome and all, and you are... well, a short pain in the ass. I think it's cute"

Ed snarled. "You're so sweet, just don't choke on it"

"Oh!" she made in awe. "Your insults have gone so academically! I sure see the change!"

"Hah" Ed chuckled and hid his smile behind his long bangs. Living with Roy has changed a lot in him, shaping him into a grown man. He still had his moments, but he learnt how to accept his pros and cons, to see himself as what he was. It was like he saw the world first time.

And he loved every moment of it.

Winry looked at every photo with a critical eye, commenting on them. She felt like she was a distant observant over the couple's life, or at least the better part of it. "I think you should lock this door, someone might think it's the house of a stalker" she said.

"Maybe"

"Well, what do you say if I help you tidy the house?"

Ed watched her surprised. "How come? Why are you so kind? It's strange"

"What? I'm always kind!" He made a disapproving face. "Neah, I was wrong. You're still the same royal pain"

He hummed in approval. They rearranged the disorder and, in no time, the house looked spotless. Winry kept him company for another hour or two, and then excused herself to make sure Al didn't get lost in the city.

"He knows the city as well as I do, Win. I don't think he'd ever get lost in it"

"Neah, I suppose you're right. Well, then, I'll be on my way"

Ed nodded and smiled. "Thanks for the help, I didn't even notice the house has gotten like that before today"

"It happens. So, Ed, make sure you get some rest, and, just between you and me – I kinda like Roy. I mean, in the most platonically and ethically way possible. And about that brother of yours? He's just over thinking things, he'll be just fine"

"Thanks, Winry, for your support"

"Anytime. Anyway, I wouldn't have seen you with a girl"

Ed lifted an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you aren't the type to settle like any person would do. You need the thrill, something more, I don't know, something... brawny? Is Roy brawny?"

"Winry!"

"And, oh, about Roy? He doesn't look like a guy who would be fawning over a woman, I don't think he would fawn over anyone if it's not for the job. But he's a softie, I'm sure"

"Perhaps" Ed hummed in approval.

"Oh, and he sure seems like the wild stallion he's named after, I think he's quite a rider, I bet he's so fucking good in-"

"Winry, get the fuck out!" Ed grunted and showed her the door.

"Whoa, there! I bet it's been a long time since- Okay, I get it, I'm out. See ya, Ed! Kiss Roy for me! Not like you wouldn't do that anyway" she commented giggling. Without waiting for a reply, which might as well have been a kick out through the door, Winry left the house. She turned and waved her hand at Ed, who returned the gesture with a sigh.

Winry had a way to melt his heart and bring him comfort. And to annoy the hell out of him, but that was just what friends did on a daily basis.

XXXXX

Roy returned to his seat and gathered his hands under his chin, expectantly. With a small gesture, he showed Winry to an empty chair in front of his desk. "How can I help you, Winry?" he asked, his smile polite and trained. She didn't take the seat.

"Spare me that. I don't want anything from you, but I came to tell you one thing. And listen to me carefully. I have nothing against you and Ed, but if you, voluntarily or involuntarily or whatever, you break my best friend's heart, I am going to stab you with my chisel till I can't say if you're made of dye or flesh. Now, have a nice day! See ya 'round!" she said cheerfully and left the office whistling.

'Goddammit, Rockbell, you sure are out in the fields chasing mongrels' he thought and put his pen back to its case smiling.

From a mentally stable, normal and decent person, that would have sounded like a threat to his life that he shouldn't treat too lightly. From Winry, it was the warmest and gentlest 'Welcome to the family' he would ever get.

What a miracle, love. It didn't kill you, but the siblings sure did.

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed, and as usual, don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! It makes my day better, seeing your response to the story. Thank you so much for reading! :D

Till the next time, bye bye!


	15. 15 - Friends and foes

A/N: Morning, guys! I'm so sorry for the late update, my life has been quite a ruckus and many unfortunate things happened. I plainly didn't have the time to look at the laptop, not to mention writing. I hope I will be able to update sooner the next chapter, so no, I didn't abandon anything.

So! The better things of the day, this chapter continues the events from the previous one. So, as per warnings, Ed's mouth, Roy's mouth, everyone's mouth... some graphic and not really stuff.

Thank you so much for the wait and I hope you'll enjoy! Please, don't forget to review, follow and favourite!

Now, on with the slaughter...

* * *

Chapter 15 – Friends and foes

So peaceful, the beauty of colourful tiny birds singing their lullabies to the wind and to the setting sun, spreading their contagious mirth all around them like a disease. Yes, Roy was probably the only person who could associate such a divine scenery with disease, and, why not – death. A painful death, an endless torture with pointy knives and salty water slowly creeping down a poor soul's spine, a droplet one at a time, raw fingers twisted in pain and blood dripping one drop at a time... Lovely, just lovely.

'Disgusting' he thought as he wetted his lips.

A leaf fell down from a tree and landed softly on his shoulder, making him shiver. A slight tinge of paranoia struck him. He shook his head and breathed in and out, evening his trepid respiration. 'What the hell, Roy, stop worrying over nothing. There's nothing to worry about' he tried to calm himself, but to no avail. There were so many dangers surrounding him, and there he was, imagining nonsense.

He turned right and walked past the many doors of his neighbourhood. Looking at the clothes hanging on their ropes, so much like people at a scaffold... He frowned. If something so little got him so riled up, then the world was coming to an end. But he had to get into the proper mood for coming home after all that happened that morning.

He stopped in front of a rather isolated back door and pulled out his keys. Better not knock, who knew what monstrosity might pop out. Just as a matter of caution, he brought one of his hands higher, shielding his face, and pushed open the entrance. Just as expected, a boot flew through the door. He skilfully ducked and avoided the flying object, the offending shoe prompting into an empty garbage bin and falling into it. Another boot flew past him, this time nearly hitting him square in the face.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! IDIOT! WHAT WAS IN YOUR MIND?!" an angry voice yelled from the inside, a dangerous glint of light sparkling from the darkness of the house.

"I'm home, great to see you too, sweetheart, ha-ha" Roy said humourlessly and took the boots inside with him to his possibly slaughterhouse.

He counted how many hours he had to live. Scratch that – how many minutes.

Ha, ha, what a joke.

XXXXX

_An hour and a half ago, at the Central Military Headquarters_

Roy leaned on the backrest sighing heartily. Winry has left his office less than a moment before in the same stormy manner she had come. He didn't know what to make of what she said, more than he already did, in other words – that he was royally fucked if he went against Ed in any way-, so he let the sudden flow of words sink in. He closed his eyes and waited for the time to pass.

However, his procrastination couldn't last more than a minute, as he realised a fact he overlooked. Winry has mentioned that she calmed Al - that obviously meant she talked to him - and agreed of him and Ed (at least sort of)... and considering Al wasn't the kind to say too much about their relationship even if he knew more, and that ultimately led to Ed...

'Shit' She talked to him. Oh, what hell of a lecture he is going to get for walking away in the morning.

Now that he thought better, he couldn't possibly understand why everyone was so interested in what he did in his spare time and sometimes they knew what he did better than himself. No wonder he felt a little paranoid. He sprung from his chair and grabbed the office phone. He carried it to the sofa and took a seat, thankful that he was alone in the room. He dialled his home number and took a deep breath as he waited for the caller to respond.

...

The phone rang annoyingly loud. The sound echoed throughout the room, startling a lost-in-reading Edward. He threw his book at the device, making it fall on the carpet with a loud thud. He stretched to the speaker and picked it up. "Mustang's residence" he politely replied, despite his bad mood and itchy neck. Might as well be someone important.

"Hello, sunshine, how are you?"

Nope, no one important. Recognising the voice, the blond replied "Fucking fine, thank you! Not because of you, though" He took in a dramatic breath. "What do you want?" Fair question.

Roy gulped and continued in a sweeter tone. "Ah, I'm so sorry if I made you angry, that was not my intention" See? Good start of conversation.

"Damn right you made me angry! Why the hell did you leave me in the morning like that?! You could at least say goodbye or, I don't know! Even spiting me in the face was better than that!" He wasn't exactly angry for the events in the morning, but Edward wasn't one to back off when a fight could begin, especially with his lover. Actually, in the past few months, he only jumped at necks when Roy was involved in one way or another, that much fun a fight with Roy could be.

"Now, now, that's all I wanted to know, I called to make sure you're alright. I'll be home soon" Roy purred into the microphone, his voice low and seductive. He could at least bring out the heavy artillery, if that was all he had over the phone.

Edward frowned. "Like hell you are coming home. Listen to me, Mustang, if I see your stupid face within my reach, I swear you won't have one anymore" Hah, he sounded so manly. He suddenly felt really big and especially tall. It felt good.

"Haha, you're such a sweetheart. I'll see you soon"

Ed threw the speaker back to its cradle and threw himself on the sofa. He suddenly boiled with rage for no good reason, mainly because the older man sounded so infuriatingly sweet for his own good. It made him so fluttered over nothing, like being called cute names which usually calmed him instantly. Just for that little, Roy deserved a good old beating, he'd dare say. Only by breathing, he asked for it.

He smirked. Oh, yes, some little aggression could lead to something nice... something more entertaining that screaming at each other, if there was anything like that. He should play like that, it will be interesting.

He was such a sadist, and he'd be damned if it wasn't true love. Not like the neighbours appreciated their declaration of love, the few that they were.

Good thing that they were not overly curious about what happened in their neighbour's house.

XXXXX

Winry returned to the hotel with a great grin deeply carved into her features. That look on Mustang's face, when she half-threatened him, that look of triumphant power hidden underneath the hard shelter of submission and fake fear, was worth her while. She almost felt like congratulating Edward for picking such a fierce lover. That bastard had the world eating from his palm, and he as well ate from the feisty blond's hand, she was sure of it. That was some nice hierarchy, what she had in mind. She was happy for her friend.

She knocked at the door and it was soon opened. Alphonse greeted her smiling, a lot more relaxed than how she left him. He kissed her cheek almost thankful, hugging her tightly, and she returned it on his lips. "What's with that smile?" she asked, but an answer wasn't given. The hem of her top was playfully pulled forward, and she was once again captured within his arms.

"You know? I've been thinking. I definitely don't like what I've found out today, but maybe I should just let things go... for brother. What do you say?"

Winry snorted. "I say you are both some stuck heads" she replied. His face turned slightly into guilt and embarrassment, but was wiped out with her next words. "But that's the main reason why I love you guys. I have my personal regiment of idiots. And judging by what I remember about Mustang's golden moments, I think I've gained another one"

They both laughed and shared a gentle kiss, enjoying the peaceful moment.

Of course, that didn't mean Al was much happier about Mustang, he still didn't like him that much. Never really did, he still had his doubts after all the decisions and measures Roy took through the years they have worked on getting their bodies back. But anything for Ed.

Not that he needed to know about that.

XXXXX

"So this is where it was!" Roy made, holding up a book like a prized possession. "Seems like you tidied up around here"

Edward came behind him and wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist a lot more affectionately than he was supposed after almost kicking the man out of his own house. After all, he wasn't that mad on him.

"Apparently, I did. Any complaints?"

"None whatsoever"

Roy let go of the boots he had in his other hand and placed them on the floor, then turned to face his shorter lover. "Didn't you say you were going to kill me when you first see my face or something?"

Ed furrowed his brow, looking thoughtful. "Hm... changed my mind. I'm not killing you anymore"

"What a relief!" Roy chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "So, how did it go?"

"What went where?" Ed asked, picking up the mug he was previously drinking from, before Roy showed up and he made his little scene. "If it's about Al, it went fine, I guess. He seriously dislikes you, not like that's such big news after all we've been through today, but I don't think it's hate either. Not yet. Let things sink in, and it might turn into it" he grinned.

"Well, this is refreshing. Leaving things aside, I'm just thankful he didn't walk into something more compromising than you screaming for a brush... I think Hawkeye's imagination was damaged beyond repair last time"

The blond pushed him away with a scold on his face "Argh, don't remind me of that. It scarred my imagination too. But! Here's the best part – he might not try to twist your neck the next time he sees you! So feel lucky, Roy!"

"Really? You're a miracle worker" Roy teased and shrugged off his uniform coat, carelessly throwing it on the closest chair. No wonder his house looked like it did.

"What about your day? Sucked more than mine? Hope it did. Tell me it did"

"Actually, no. Had the best day of work ever. Oh, you found this too!" the General changed the subject abruptly, finding yet another object that miraculously appeared out of nowhere.

Ed didn't welcome the change, and retorted sarcastically "Yeah, sure"

"No, really! Less papers than ever! And no gun warnings, too" Roy lied with a straight face. He had as much work as usual, if not more. And he had some not really settling news, at least in a way.

"Good for you, workaholic. I wasn't talking about that, I was talking about how your conscience was so concerned about me and how deeply you regretted leaving me in the morning"

Roy gasped. "Oh! That... I didn't think of it up until now..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then smiled innocently. "No, no regrets found"

Ed lightly punched him in forearm. "You self-centred bastard, I hate you"

His harsh words were accompanied by another good natured punch in the shoulder. The brunette welcomed it like a precious gift, knowing how much he deserved it for his crassness. Taken aback by a sudden rush of gentleness from Ed, who simply jumped on him, he parted his legs slightly to accommodate the added pressure on his knees as his neck was hugged by thin fingers and legs confined his hips. He smashed their lips together in a rough yet sweet kiss, a promise of much more.

Roy could swear heaven was a pale imitation of their moment, that until his hair was yanked by the same hands that offered him paradise. "You know what passed through my head? I think I have a good idea how to make you feel miserable"

"That's so kind of you, having me in your thoughts all the time" Mustang mocked, clicking his tongue lewdly. That made Ed sport a dark blush on his normally pale cheeks. Fucker. "What is it?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What do you say about inviting Win and Al over? Maybe, if you act for once in your life like a humble human being, he might like you better, hm?"

The Flame twisted his lips in a smirk. "Funny, I wanted to suggest the same thing"

"I'd say great minds think alike, but I made it the purpose of my life to prove you how stupid you are"

"You're being so considerate, thank you" Roy said and let him slip from his arms. Ed instinctively lowered his arms to attenuate his fall, but was greeted by the softness of the pillow from the couch. He didn't notice when he was carried to the living room, and didn't have too much time to linger on the thought, as the larger body of his lover pushed him further into the cushions. They kissed, tongues dancing together and teeth grazing his lips.

Ed let his hands wander on Roy's broad back, groping his sides eagerly. In tender motions, small circles were made by long fingers on his chest, prickling his senses. He could feel himself getting harder, a familiar warmth coiling up in his abdomen. The blond thrust up his hips, rubbing their crotches together roughly, demanding more leverage. He arched his back at the much needed contact, and he could feel the teasing fingers that crept between his buttocks, pausing to push through the clothes when they met his arse. He let a moan get past his lips, still captured by Roy's.

Roy opened one lid to look at his lover, whose eyes were tightly shut in pleasure. Their mouths were still working together, and so did his mind. He abruptly ended the long kiss and said monotonously "I think we should do it"

Ed looked at him like one would look at an unknown creature. "Huh?"

"We should invite them over"

"Uh? Okay..." he made annoyed, feeling like his insides would explode if he wasn't granted any release of sorts. Before he knew it, the warmth that enveloped him disappeared, so did the pressure on his chest. Roy got on his feet like nothing happened and walked out of the room, a big-days grin forming on his swollen lips. This was so much fun, he thought and checked an imaginary list of things that he wanted to try on Ed, most of them for the sole purpose of annoying him. That was worth the ache in his loins when he abandoned the touch.

With a grunt, Ed threw his head on the pillows, cursing. He jumped to his feet and strolled to his lover's direction. "I'm so gonna fuck you with a knife" he averted and caught up with Roy, who was innocently pouring himself some coffee. He looked at the jar where they kept the coffee powder, and made a mental note to buy some more, they were finishing it at an alarming pace.

"Ah, you will have to do that later, we are expected at an official dinner party later tonight and I wouldn't be able to stand so easily. Though I wouldn't mind being carried by you, even if it's... how to say it... well, impossible" Roy said matter-of-factly.

Edward blinked a few times, the warmth of his lower body momentarily forgotten. "We - what?"

"Oh, pardon me" he replied formally, delighted to see the blond's mortified face. He hated dinner parties more than milk, and that was deemed as vile. Talking about milk, he should pour some in his coffee, it was too strong even for his liking. "Oops, seems like I've overlooked telling you"

"No shit. When and where? And why should I go?"

"I don't want to get bored alone"

"That's not a reason"

"To me, it is. I received a letter from Grumman right after I left the office, informing me we were invited to a high-ass party thrown by Ross Gartner, you know, the one with the big import-export company and other business premises"

"Gartner? For what reason? I doubt you'd go to such thing for the simple act of it, right? And drag me with you, that is" Ed asked and jumped on the kitchen counter. If his so considerate lover was so nice to rile him up and leave him with a problem underneath his clothes, he could at least amuse himself with listening to Roy explaining his mindless games.

He chuckled, the throaty sound appearing to be made by an engine, rather than the vocal chords. He was tired, but nonetheless amused by Ed's rush of questions. "You know me better than that. Obviously I've got my motives. But to get to the point-" he settled in a chair in front of Ed and slowly rubbed his slender flesh leg "-the main idea is that I need help, and that is soon"

"Oh? And the old fox can't provide it?" Ed shook Roy's hand off his leg, but instead, he turned to play with his foot. The damn bastard should keep his hands to himself if he still needed them.

"Have you read the report on my desk?" The blond opened his mouth to defend himself, but he was cut off. "Of course you did, no need to lie. You always read my papers even when you shouldn't. But, that's not the thing. Drachma has been making pressures at the border after my idiot uncle was declared undesirable, and I've laid a plan to the Fuhrer about a good way of eliminating the problem. We currently can't afford a new war, and I doubt anyone wants one beside Drachma. We would lose all our hard built trust of the citizens just because our neighbours want to go against our armistice. And that brings yet another problem – this operation can't be made public, and we need someone who would import without much of a fuss some goods our nice friend, the Emperor of Xing, will send us next month"

"Ling? What does he have to do with that?"

"Seems you forgot they have common border with them. The Drachmanns want to attack them and make it look like our country did it. Foolish, I'd say, considering that Ling agreed to support me, taking this further meaning Amestris, into gaining yet more power. They need us, for they lack of our military force, and don't forget about our subterranean resources. Not many countries have as much as we do, if at all"

Ed nodded, a bigger image forming in his head. "Aham... Okay, that is true, but what is behind this nice friendship based on resources? And for Truth's sake, leave my feet alone!" Ed kicked Roy hand roughly.

"I was just trying to make you relax, you look tense"

"By tickling my feet?"

"Whatever, you're no fun"

"Me? Okay now, bastard, continue with your explanation why I have to go to your bullshit carnival"

Roy nodded, a little disappointed as he could no longer play with Ed's foot. He should find something else to do to annoy the blond. "Charcoal"

"Charcoal. Uh?" Ed pushed Roy's chair with his automail leg, making sure their contact was minimal.

"What do train engines function on?"

"Steam made by... burning charcoal"

"Exactly" the taller man said and subtly moved the chair closer to the counter on which Ed was staying. "Ling plans on developing his country, and he wants to build railways. There are none functional in Xing and he doesn't have the needed materials for powering the engines, but he has the iron. We don't have all that much iron, but we have mines of many other resources. Charcoal, gold, silver, rare minerals, and the list goes on. And we also have some deposits that we own in other countries, so our resources will not be strained"

"Sounds like you are starting a little dictatorship when you're not even the ruler"

Roy sneered. "You don't see. Drachma plans on starting a war just because they can. Their lack of resources of certain kinds is rushing them into an expansion policy to gain more territory that is rich. Or that's what they write in their pamphlets"

"Stupid Government"

"And dangerous. They can't possibly defeat us, they know very well, I mean – Mira Armstrong shows them that on a regular basis, but a conflagration would get me in front of the lines, as a General and Commander of troops, not even Grumman could stop that. And it would make me look bad in public, the great liberator sending people to die, and that's what their Government wants. Apparently, I am some sort of stick up everybody's asses, and believe me, I don't see the reason. It's not like I'm indispensable or irreplaceable, so they could finish things faster with the right moves. Only that I've proven it's a bit tricky to get rid of me, so that's not viable"

Ed leaned on his elbows to look in Roy's deceptive black eyes. "They don't want you to go up the ladder because you will hinder their expansion, and they won't be able to conquer us. Okay, I get this. You seriously pushed some wrong buttons, Roy, I didn't think so many want you dead, when you seem so carefree"

"Right on spot. Huh, you're the only one who ever understands my strategies so fast, that's why I love you so much" he smirked.

"Don't mix that with business. Spill the rest" Ed urged and pushed his metallic toes in Roy's abdomen.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" he mocked a crooked salute, pulling out a snort from Ed. "Roy, don't push it, unlike the case of those who want you dead, I can kill you in your sleep. So, continue"

Roy lifted an eyebrow, impressed."If Xing builds a railway, we agreed to make a line between our countries. We can exploit the desert for that, I've already arranged with Miles and Scar, and they've sent people to scout the terrain, and they've found a good route, most of it being on the former communication channel. I had Havoc play a little with explosives, and he made some really powerful armament that will help us protect our border during our little experiment, and it might come in hand as we exploit the land. His brother-in-law is procuring him the needed substances from the military hospital laboratory and his sister will be honing the formula. Armstrong is working with her brother on new models of tanks and heavy artillery to scare the crows, and our good Fuhrer is making his speech for announcing how helpful an alliance with the East would be"

"And we were not starting a war. What the fuck, Mustang, and I thought we were living under the same roof!"

"We're not starting anything. I'm merely seeing an opportunity, as we will prove we can fight back anytime and that also we have the right to not start anything. That we are powerful, you see?"

"You want the world to see you like a fucking saint, don't you? Megalomaniac lunatic" the blond said and jumped off the counter and took a seat next to Roy. "I don't really get what you plan on doing, but, as long as you don't start a new unnecessary killing spree, I can't really do much. So... you say Ling wants to make trains"

"We will make their trains with their iron, and that for good money and information on alchemy. Fair trade, and our people get more jobs. It will help boosting the economy"

Edward ignored the last part. "Alchemy again?"

"Always. It's impetuous to learn more about medicine, we need it. We have all the possible weapons, most of them created by alchemy, but not the healthiest population. Some notions of medical alchemy could work miracles"

"So no dominating the world from your bed? You want to help the people, huh?" Roy nodded with a small glint in his eyes. "You see that? We can make this country safe and peaceful. That's all I want. That doesn't mean we won't have to stain our hands with underhanded tactics, but I'm willing to try. Are you with me?"

Edward scratched his head and sighed heavily. "Argh, like I have a choice. You are one idealistic idiot, but that might work if you have someone to take you back on tracks. And I might like your couch..."

"So?"

Ed sighed deeply and leaned on the backrest. "When did you say we have to be at your guy?"

At that, Roy smirked.

XXXXX

_Less than an hour ago, at the Central Headquarters_

Roy was already picturing the very warm welcome he would get when he came home. He could imagine how he would be greeted with a loving punch in the face and a stroke right in the stomach, so much affection sent to his inner organs that were not supposed to feel any excitement outside their usual contractions. He might have pushed Edward a bit too far with his teasing, but everyone needs a hobby.

He gathered his things and slid the mess of spare pens, stamps and seals back into their respective drawers. In another drawer he put some pocketbooks, a lot more careful, and locked it. Not particularly motivated, he left his office with a thud and the jingling of his keys.

"General Mustang, Sir!" a voice squeaked breathlessly behind him when he finally reached the backyard. He hated exiting through the front entrance, that was only for when he came to work, so he rarely used it when he left, opting for the smallest door in the whole unit. No one needed to know when he left from work. He turned around on his heels, his bored face suddenly lighting up.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he asked the petite secretary. She worked for the Fuhrer, relatively new to the job, but fierce in accomplishing her tasks. She looked like she would have run to his house to do her duty, or maybe to another city. Actually, if he thought of that, she once paid him a visit to send a letter from her commanding officer when he was on a short vacation with Ed, close to the southern border... which was half a country away. He made a mental note not to underestimate her.

An envelope was produced from her uniform, tightly wrapped around her dubiously slim waist. "The Fuhrer... told me to... huff... give you this, Sihrr..." she said, breath cut short. How long has she been looking for him?

He accepted the letter with a polite smile. "Thank you, Lieutenant, I will look over it. How is your sister, is she better?"

The woman nodded frantically. "Yes, she is. The doctor you recommended started his treatment on her, and she is responding very well. He said she will be on her own two feet in less than a month, after the surgery two days from now"

"Please send her my best regards"

"I will, thank you, Sir"

"Now, if you would excuse me, I'm in quite a hurry, no matter how nice it is talking to you. Is there anything else?"

"N-no, Sir. That'd be all, the Fuhrer is thanking you for your promptitude as always"

"Alright, have a nice day, then" he said and kindly saluted her, and she blushed crimson red when he showed off his great smile. She always blushed when he did or said anything kind to her, making him wonder from what sort of environment she came. But that was none of his concern, not like he won't check into that.

"Thank you! You too, Sir!" she said brightly and ran back inside the building. Very few uniforms talked to her so nice despite her really good job in the military. It was a pleasure to exchange words with Roy.

He turned his eyes to the white envelope and turned it on the other side. He wondered what she meant by 'promptitude' when he didn't do anything yet. He walked to a tree, well hidden from the watchful eye of the world, and opened the letter.

_Roses are red, violets are blue, take your ass to dinner with Blondie too._

_-EG_

_P.S. I think I am getting better at this!_

"Seriously..." Roy shook his head disapprovingly. Did this man really command the most armed country in a range of... like the entire Planet? He didn't think there was anyone more driven on accumulating and crafting weapons, even human weapons, than his country.

And he made the poor girl run after him for that? "Hah, trying to straighten the circle, Gramps?" he chuckled and started home, bracing himself for the loving treatment he would most likely get.

XXXXX

Roy looked through the house, musing on how clean it suddenly looked after Ed's effort of arranging the mess he left behind in the mornings. It felt like he was using the kind hearted alchemist, that was not his intention, but he just couldn't bring himself to put anything back to their place in the mornings or evening or ever. He used to come back home in the middle of the night, sleep for two or three hours, then go to work and so on. That until Ed moved in, when he finally had a reason to stay at home more than four hours a day.

However, that didn't motivate him to clean. Not at all.

"Your Fabulousness, weren't you the one who was pulling me out of the house? Go change, you can't go dressed like that" Ed deadpanned, distracting him from his awe.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go, Mother"

Ed stopped midway with a grimace. "That sounded so wrong and, um... I don't think I want to comment on that. Also, you're older than me"

"And you never forget to remind me that, thank you" he said and climbed up the stairs to change into something more elegant than his uniform.

Edward moved from behind the door's frame, where he ducked for only his head to be seen. It was the second time he was dressed in a suit, damn, he didn't dress in that even at his brother's wedding, and he wanted to make Roy gasp a little at the sight.

He frowned. Last time he wore the damned clothing, he almost got himself killed. That was not the thought to have before an event that was so important to Roy.

"Hmh" Mustang hummed when he returned from upstairs, dressed in an absurdly expensive black suit (mostly because he didn't know what to do with money, not that he was a big fan of designer clothes), spotless white shirt and a dark purple tie with matching cufflinks and pin. He looked casual, dressed in an outfit that could easily power up a small neighbourhood for a day, if not longer. "Hah, I think I should have burnt the poor bastard twice for taking this sight from me for my birthday"

Ed felt like blushing. He felt so out of place, in the too tight suit, with a damn shirt buttoned up and strangled with a hanging-suitable cravat. He could swear he looked like a beggar, with his long hair pulled up high on his head and most of his bangs gathered behind his ears.

"Keep it into your pants, we have things to do"

"And I was thinking that living with a woman would be hard"

"Out, out!" Ed shooed him to the door. Roy raised his hands in front of him "Don't throw me out yet, we still have time till we have to leave"

"And then why have you been hushing me, come again?"

"Ah, well..." He cleared his voice. "So, I didn't ask you to accompany me only so that I won't get too bored, it is also because it seems that our future aid, with whom I will personally negotiate the terms of our business, has a soft spot for blond boys, completely platonic, that is. I think it is, at least. Hey, I did not say you were a kid, don't kill me yet-" Roy pushed Ed back in his seat "-But you might seem very appealing. And I need to get good prices, the carry will be very big. So please, just stay next to me and look really interested in what I'm doing, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sounds fine, as long as I won't get a bald guy rubbing on me..."

Roy shrugged. "He's inoffensive, he just feels more generous when he sees people that remind him of his late son. Or that's what I've heard. Anyway, whatever happens, I won't leave you alone in there. But there's also one more thing I need you to do, if you are so good to accompany me..."

XXXXX

They entered the large mansion like they owned the place, or more accurately, like Roy did. He had a defiant air that levitated around him, surrounding him like a perfectly tailored coat. He smiled at the ladies on his way and saluted the men with a tip of his head, his decadent march screaming his military pride. Edward felt more like a little child being dragged around in a convention where he was taken by his parents because they didn't have with whom to leave him home; he felt completely out of place.

They waltzed through the great crowd of people, Ed dodging everyone in his vicinity. At the end of the hall, they stopped in front of a mid-height man, with scanty dirty-blond hair. The corners of his small, grey eyes wrinkled when Roy extended his hand to shake his. "Ah, General Mustang! Such a pleasure to see you tonight, I thought you wouldn't make it, with your busy schedule. Thank you so much for coming!"

Roy smiled politely as he let go of his well-groomed hand. "Mister Gartner, how could I possibly miss your invitation? Oh, but please meet my greatly capable subordinate and good friend, Edward Elric"

The man's sneaky eyes glowed for a second. "The famous Fullmetal Alchemist? What a pleasure, Lieutenant Colonel!" he shook Ed's hand with a great smile that made the poor alchemist shrunk a little. However, he replied how he was supposed "The pleasure is all mine, Sir"

"Ha-ha, no need to flatter me. I've heard about your great adventures and your devotement to our country, it is really admirable. And I must congratulate you on your courage of becoming a state alchemist at such a young age, and I'm delighted to hear you are still a man of the people, even after everything you've been through. Very delighted"

Ed tried to follow the line of words, but the sweet tone lulled him into a dreamy state. Mister Gartner was the embodiment of a salesman, being reputed of making people agree to things they didn't even consider just by sweet-talking them. He had an extensive line of work, the shipping company being just a little part of his great business empire.

Roy kept his polite smile on. He looked natural in his falsity, the irony that it was. When he noticed Ed lost all the words he prepared to answer to the many questions he was being asked by the energetic businessman, he made a stand. "With no doubt he is" he replied at a flattery he vaguely heard. "He is a great help in everything we do for our country. No less, we are planning-"

Ed stopped listening to the conversation and eventually excused himself. He wandered through the hall, looking at the many people who were turning to smile at him and shake his hand like he was some sort of celebrity. He didn't know that so many people knew him, and he felt violated. He hated being recognised by the masses, he enjoyed staying just another face in the crowd. But maybe those completely stranger people were the type who were bored at home and searched for a convenient gossip, and his carrier was a good topic. In the city, many heard of him, but too few actually met him in person to provide any viable theories.

With some effort, mostly because a group of young ladies suddenly took a liking to him and they all wanted to talk to him and learn as much as they could about his oh-so-fascinating life, he reached the other end of the hall. There were so many people he could barely breathe, and the sweet fruitiness of the champagne he so reluctantly took from a waiter didn't calm him at all. He wondered why he had to leave Roy, what devil made him wander aimlessly and answer to stupid questions from unknown individuals.

He sipped his drink until he got bored of it. He had no idea how he was supposed to blend in with the people when he didn't know them, and he couldn't possibly understand how Roy mastered the technique.

After finishing his small talk with Gartner, Roy moved to talk to some expensive clothed men and their wives, he supposed, and made some young ladies blush in delight from his words. Ed watched him from the distance, their eyes sometimes meeting, and every time Roy caught his stare, he raised his glass and smiled at him, making it hard to hide his flushness. The blond felt good when he saw his lover's vigilant gaze searching for him, and felt proud when he saw his eyes smiling. Roy's eyes rarely showed the omnipresent smile on his face, but it was always there for Ed. He could admit it was overwhelming, but it was more so when he was with who knew how many men and women breathing his air and invading his personal space.

When he decided his hand was going to fall asleep from clutching the flute so hard, he put it on a random table and swam through the curious crowd. He started feeling paranoid from the many looks he got on his way, and it completely sucked. At the end of the hall, however, he noticed Roy was nowhere in sight, so he guessed he went off talking to their host.

Perfect, then.

He made his way to a fleet of stairs and went through the nearest door. The room he entered was small and looked like a miniature study, but that was none of his business. He exited through the window and fell on a blanket of grass. He shook of the leaves that stuck to his suit and took a deep breath. Being in the open was far better than being glued to heavy perfume smelling talkative guests.

He surrounded the mansion and stopped under a window sill. He gracelessly rolled up his sleeves, forgetting that he was not supposed to wrinkle them too badly since he had to return to the ball or whatever that thing was. He escalated the closest pipe and jumped to the next window. With a clap of his hands, he forced open the frame and got himself in.

The chamber he broke into was an enormous record room, full of folders and files. He took a moment to grasp the monstrosity of the room – if he ever considered Roy's office packed in papers, this one was swimming in them. The view in front of him perfectly matched his commanding officer's description, quite eerily for his tastes.

Before they left for the party, Roy instructed Ed to leave the ball at around eleven and break into the third room on the eastern wing, that meaning the fifth window on the second floor of the mansion. His mission was utterly stupid, the only order he was given was to 'inspect the forth shelf next to the door on the right and write down whatever sounds interesting'.

He searched through the said shelf, tiptoeing to reach it. He scanned through the many documents, most of them from the clients Gartner had from his various business branches, and some charts. There was absolutely nothing interesting writing in there, maybe only the transitioned sums. "What the fuck, Roy, you made me climb a building just to look at numbers?!"

He shuffled through the papers again, hoping that something caught his eye...

Two voices came from the outer corridor, making him jump and kill the lights swiftly. With the ease of a cat, he hid behind a shelf and held his breath in as the door opened. This scenario was becoming overrated.

"Ah, you are too kind-" a male said in a humble tone, false honesty vibrating through the walls. "- but it wouldn't be beneficial for any of us"

'Roy? What the hell?' Ed mentally cursed. The lights lit up again and Roy and his host closed the door behind them. They were currently talking about some sort of engagement plans that sounded more like negotiating for cattle, and they seemed very acid about the matter, one trying to seduce the other into agreeing to Truth knew what.

"Oh, but it might actually be. You see..."

Ed visually searched for an escape. Last year, when he hid in the headquarters and overheard Roy's discussion with Major Armstrong, it has been sheer luck that he wasn't seen. Now, it was getting dangerous, and it wouldn't do for someone to see their guest sneaking into their house, no matter who they were. And he also didn't get the chance to write anything down.

He half listened to the chat, his ears being more attentive to the sound of their footsteps. At some point, the conversation turned really friendly, and the jingle of keys could be heard. Ed got closer to the light and watched behind the shelves how Gartner opened a cabinet and took a bottle of whiskey. At that, his eyes lit up instantly.

He might have found something really interesting...

XXXXX

_A week ago, in General Mustang's office_

"Ah! My boy, great to see you at work!" a great voice boomed in the room and startled Roy awake from his chair, where he was peacefully chewing on a muffin while reading some reports. He elbowed squarely the mug of coffee he rested on top of a fair pile of papers, and spilled it all over his work in his attempt to salute his commander without falling off the chair.

"SHII- Good evening, Fuhrer... ah, fu-what a surprise!" he said as he plunged over his desk to catch the falling mug, preventing it to spill more liquid on the soiled paperwork. The older man hurried to the middle table and snatched some napkins that remained after everyone took their lunch there, and helped Roy towel his desk.

"I'm so sorry, lad, seems I've startled you" Grumman excused himself, rubbing his white hair apologetically. Roy casted him a glare that screamed 'no fucking shit', that kind of look he only threw to his most fierce supporter when he appeared out of nowhere, causing havoc stupidly. Despite the murderous shade in his eyes, and the pang in his heart when he realised he would have to redo all the papers that were drenched, he put down the remains of his muffin that didn't end up crushed in his hand and said with a disgustingly polite smile that would make one's gut to knot itself around the other organs at the mere sight "To what I own the pleasure to have you here, Fuhrer, Sir?" Not particularly gently, he put the pen he was holding back on the table top.

"No need to be so stiff, Roy. There's no need to serve me with coff- well, I think I should skip the pleasantries, and get to my business" The General wanted to roll his eyes until he got dizzy, and he thanked God for his iron control in front of other people, especially his superiors.

"I am listening. Please, have a seat" Roy waved to a chair in front of his desk, the one that didn't have any coffee on it. The poor drink, he had just made it, it still smelled fresh and tasty.

Grumman nodded, overlooking the fact that he was supposed to sit in Roy's place, as a superior. He looked back to make sure he closed the door properly, and started "I have analysed your proposal, and, by my presence here, I'm allowing you to act on your own accord, and tell me if you need any resources that I can provide"

'Did he really come here to tell me this. Really' Roy screamed internally. The very same words he read in an informative letter he received in the morning. Did the old crook go completely senile?

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your support"

"Yeah, yeah, obviously you are asking yourself what on Earth I am doing here. I can see it on your face. So, hear me out – I've found you a good lead for a supplier that can provide for our plan. You know him all-too well, and I hate to make you do business with him again, but he's the most reliable contact we hope for in this case"

"I understand"

"And I also need you to do something more, and that is to work your charm. How you do that and for what reason? You decide, but you should make a back-up plan. I will tell you more via messages, and I have to warn you - you might have to bring our friend with you, he could make some good impression, and, you know..."

"I understand" Roy nodded, making little connections in his head.

"I get that you understand, I wouldn't tell you anything if you didn't... well, then, I should be on my way, I left completely unannounced and my secretary might freak out. The poor girl, she is worrying too much over everything"

"Of course, Sir, thank you for your continuous support" 'No wonder why she worries' he wanted to add, but ignored his urge.

"Anytime, Roy, after all, we're partners in crime, ha-ha" the old man winked mischievously. "Please, send my best regards to Edward; I hope to see him around soon"

"Thank you, I will" Roy saluted as the Fuhrer left his office. With a death-like sigh, he collapsed on top of the papers and rubbed his temples in frustration. Did he just think of going home earlier? No, Sir, thank you.

Ed will kill him if he doesn't come home at a decent hour... well, he might die just there, might be easier and less messy than anywhere in the world. He'd get a nice spot in the morgue, maybe some cute ladies would embalm him and some nice looking coroner with long legs would note down the cause of his death... that was almost too good to be true.

A pile of papers fell to the ground with a thud, and so did Roy's morale. 'No dying for you, Roy' he patted himself on the shoulder and set to clean the mess, thankful he was alone in the office to let his curses run wild and free.

XXXXX

Ed returned to the hall with a confident look on his face. He jumped back into the garden through the window after making sure everything looked like when he entered the records room. He scanned through the room for Roy. It wasn't that hard to find him, he was by far the flashiest person in the room, talking loudly to everyone and no one, bubbling about everything and anything and making women drool all over him.

He chatted with a small group which looked smart enough for a decent conversation, making it look like that's what he's been doing the whole evening. After he deemed it suitable to return to Roy, he strolled to him with his hands in his pockets.

Roy was talking to a blonde lady, her complexion barely showing under the thick layer of makeup. Judging by the long looks the brunette was being given by the many rich men around him, his company was some sort of trophy woman who everyone was aching to get a piece of. It was completely distasteful, and something in Ed made him churn with disgust when she gently brushed her hand on his lover's shoulder, lowering as to touch his hand.

Like he was floating, Edward made his way to the General, who was gently pushing away the intruding lady. When he saw the blond, Roy cracked a great smile and nodded his head. "Ah, but please, my ladies, meet my dear friend, Edward Elric" he said to his attendants, subtly gaining more space to breath. They all changed their attention to the younger man, flabbergasted by his youth and height. Ed didn't feel comfortable at all, but he kept up the appearances for Roy's sake. At least for him, after all, they had a goal for which they came that night, and it was far from getting in a fight with some glossy guests. And, besides that, it was no fun to yell at someone who wasn't Roy.

After what seemed like a short eternity, the room started to slowly clear, and Roy deemed the moment ideal for their departure. He diplomatically saluted the dead-drunk partiers, said his farewells to the other important people around there, and dragged Ed after him to their waiting car.

They arrived home around three in the morning, completely disgusted by the tasteless party. Other people appeared to be enjoying it, but it simply wasn't their cup of tea, not like Roy would admit it, after he declared himself quite good with that kind of events.

Ed plopped on the couch with a long sigh, and shrugged off his coat to the floor. "How can you even enjoy this kind of shit? Being groped all over and people rubbing on you... ugh"

Roy chuckled and took a sit next to him, less drained of energy than his partner. "I thought you liked being groped and rubbed all over" he implied sheepishly, earning him an elbow in the gut. "Not by strangers, and don't you even bring into discussion anything even slightly intimate after making me climb a fucking building in the middle of the night"

"Sorry..." Roy said and kissed his cheek hopeful. "Forgive me for using you like a wretched, inconsiderate and manipulative bastard that I am. Did I say it correctly?"

Ed snorted and rested his head on his lover's lap. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, good to know you finally understood where you stand. As an apology, tell me why the hell did I have to copy documents? Don't tell me you want to use them as a shady conspiracy like you use everything you land your hands on"

"No really... do you have them?"

"Obviously. You were kind enough to barge in with that baldie when I was searching for, let me quote – 'something interesting'. What the fuck where you doing there, anyway?"

Roy didn't reply at first, but leaned forward to take a small notebook from Ed's coat breast inner-pocket. He opened it carefully and analysed the scrapings. There were only numbers and names of clients, here and there some annotations. He grinned.

"So? Why are you smiling?"

"Here, dear Edward, is pure gold. See this?" he pointed to a name that didn't mean anything to the blond. "This is the alias of the Drachmann ambassador. Here? This is a foreign general from the same country. This? That's an undercover agent from the very same place... and so on. They are making business with our dear friend Gartner"

"Aha, okay... why the hell are you working with him, now?"

"Because, now, I have the material for blackmailing him, if needed. If not, I will just enjoy counting the numbers on these papers and stack some more to his respective file"

"So you sent me to break into a fucking storage room to steal you some data to use to potentially blackmail your partner who is a state traitor, because we don't know what he is transporting? I can see the logic, really. By the way, why did you two show up in the office? You knew I was there"

Roy played with a long blond lock that fell on his leg. "Gartner, as per usual, arranged me four engagements and found me marital agency and already talked to a priest. And, of course, I wanted to make sure you find where the documents were hidden, I could swear you didn't find them until I came in"

Edward's pupils blew off. "ENGAGEMNT WHAT?!" he exploded and lifted his head abruptly from Roy's lap. "YOU BASTARD! I knew it! Of course you had to find yourself some flashy bitch to look good with and have others drool over her, you conceited womanizer! 'cause you just couldn't wait and have your balls turn blue, why not fuck with my head, huh? Very nice, I hope you die of venereal disease, any of them, if possible, all of them"

Roy looked at him with a crooked smile, not really sure what to say. Edward was murdering him with his glares, the chills he was getting being quite unsettling. "Err... Ed? I'm not marrying anyone, not yet that is... and definitely not some sticky woman Gartner might find me. I love you, sunshine, you know that... come on, don't think I could ever do that to you..." After pondering for a second, he added more to brighten the mood "Don't be jealous..."

He stood up and hugged Ed tightly. The blond shook slightly, making Roy wander what was with all the doubt. He wasn't such a monster, to cheat on Ed's complete trust. He just couldn't do that.

"I'm not jealous, you git..." Ed hiccupped. Roy wanted to laugh, the situation was plainly stupid, but he found it very endearing to hear his lover was so heated over such thing. Just enthralling.

"Shs... hey, Edward, I'm not leaving you... that old conman has been arranging my wedding since I was a kid... he once offered me a death certificate with my name on it when I was complaining I wanted a vacation from work... the guy's full of shit, that's all"

"Huh?" Ed made and pushed Roy a bit, looking into his eyes, the burst of jealousy suddenly evaporating into thin air, curiosity taking its place.

"His family has been doing business with mine since ever, and he has a very sick sense of humour, that's all. Dubious character, but reliable" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Kind of"

"And that's why you had me gather incriminatory information?"

"You never know how friendly people can get" Roy said and nodded his head to the floor, looking like he really meant business. Only if his eyes weren't so sunny and his body didn't pin Ed's to the couch, maybe then, he would have been more credible.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this little intrusion, my mind completely drifted off when I was writing this.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and please don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite.

Until the next time, bye-bye :)


	16. 16 - Under the table

A/N: 'Morning, 'morning! Back into business with another chapter. A filler between fillers, but I hope you'll enjoy it. No special mentions, besides that the characters are awfully bipolar. I don't know, people usually get irrational when they overthink things, so yeah, let's say it works :)

The previous narration will continue from the next chapter, so don't forget to continue checking it (that is, when I'll post the next chapter). Thank you so much for taking your time and read this, and don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite!

Now then, on with the flow...

* * *

Chapter 16 – Under the table

The loud ringing at the door woke Roy with a startle. He fell off the bed and smacked his face on the chilly carpet. It felt like he passed through the very floor, his body heavy and tired. Perhaps he should have listened to Edward when he said that maybe they should postpone the third or fourth time they had sex the night before, but, well... he just didn't feel like doing so. He threw the cover back on Ed who was peacefully snorting with his mouth half-opened and gathered the first clothes he had at grasp.

He hobbled down the hall, struggling with pulling up his pants, and managed to get a shirt on before he opened the door. With all his being, he hoped it wasn't Alphonse again. "Yes?"

Riza Hawkeye looked like she wanted to murder someone. She woke up two hours earlier than she was supposed to and couldn't go back to sleep after that. Just for this simple reason, her day was deemed from the beginning to be very bad. "Good morning, Sir, why aren't you in your uniform? Did you forget it's the middle of the week?" she said with a mild scold.

"Huh? No, no... but it's...damn" he looked at the clock on the wall, which proudly pointed the hour eight twenty-three. "Please come in, I'll be down in a few moments!" he shouted and ran up the stairs to his bedroom.

Riza accepted the offer and closed the door behind her. It wasn't the first time she had to wait for her commanding officer; he sometimes had moments when he wouldn't wake up even if a train passed right next to his head. She took a seat on the couch and patiently waited, scanning the room. It looked surprisingly clean, knowing how messy Roy could get when he didn't have any spare time.

Her frown deepened when she heard him thumping upstairs, clearly knocking down everything around him with his carelessness and hurry. She wondered what kept him up for so long, but decided she didn't want another image scarring her retinas. She had enough piled up in her head.

Eight minutes later, she noticed very pleased (that was a record time for dressing), Roy came downstairs with a big grin on his face. "Ah! Thank you for the wait, I hope you helped yourself with something"

"No problem, Sir" she said elusively, not very eager to find the reason why he was in such a good mood. That man was frightening when he wanted to be, and his lack of a sour face in the morning wasn't very relaxing. He led her to the door and showed her out, following her after closing the door. "Pardon me for my lateness, your dear Grandpa kept me up all night long" he explained when she started the engine.

"Is that so?" He hummed in approval. "It seems I'll be paying quite some visits for the next few days, so please make it look like I'm extremely busy and can't leave my office even with my feet forward"

"Understood" she dutifully nodded. "Do I get that we will be seeing Edward around?"

"Who knows? As long as Al doesn't kill me, I will also be able to see him, too"

Riza turned her eyes from the windshield and crooked an eyebrow. Roy's personal life, as she forever deemed it a few months ago, was not a thing she wanted to hear about. She once wondered how it would be if he started rambling about his relationship like some other officers did, like Havoc when he was getting a girlfriend after crying his eyes out from a break up. Yeah, Jean... She suddenly blushed. 'No such thoughts during working hours' she reminded herself and turned her eyes on the road.

Roy basically floated to his office, avoiding being seen by any personnel. No one needed to know he was late, and if people believed he had been there for the whole time, let them believe! Fortunately, he didn't run into anyone, as everybody was too busy doing their duties and presenting their reports as fast as they could. Show off, if he could call it that, or more like justifying one's salary after a month of slacking off and doing nothing.

A little later, after a kind looking lieutenant disturbed his silence with demanding his attention on signing some forms, another loud knock that could easily break down the door disrupted what was left of his day-dreaming. What was he saying about everybody remembering it was the end of the month? "Yes?"

"My reverences, Your Majesty, may I intrude into your kingdom? Some coffee, a cup of our finest tea?" Edward entered, kicking the entrance with his metallic foot, his hands in his pockets. He whistled appreciatively "Whoa, sure looks like the dead woke up after four long weeks" he noticed as he looked at the folders on the desk.

Roy cracked a smirk. "My, my, what an honour having you here, Fullmetal. Decided to show up too? What a shame, the day was just getting better. Unfortunately, the coffee finished, now that you came"

"Ha-ha, fuck you too, General" Ed replied with a straight face, failing to keep it as he almost burst into loud laughter seeing the poor low-ranked officer who was searching through a report eyeing him eerily, a bit scared that someone dared to talk like that to a General. It was common knowledge Edward wasn't in the slightest the most polite person when it came to Mustang, but it must have been the first time he's seen their little show. 'Must be a rookie in the office' he decided after taking a better look at the man's face. "Good morning, Second Lieutenant" he saluted after counting the decorations on his epaulets.

"G-good morning, Sir" he replied shakily and started to sit up from the couch. Ed waved his hand with a smile for him to resume what he was doing previously, and turned his face to Roy, who was watching amused. "Obviously you forgot you had your assessment"

"It's your fault you forgot to remind me"

"Indeed, I only told you six times, I should have said it for seven"

Ed frowned. "Smart. Anyway, they were only the papers of registration, and I gave them to Armstrong as you requested. I'll be submitting the rest at the end of the week. Yeah, I've heard when you said that, shut it. By the way, the Lieutenant has been calling me like a frenzy to come at the office, I thought it was burning. And here I was thinking to myself that I should make sure you didn't hurt yourself making coffee. So, what happened?"

At that, Roy's brows lowered apologetically. He won't get to the end of this, as he once again forgot to make coffee in the morning when it was his turn. "You should personally talk to the Lieu- no need for that" he said and nodded to his assistant who glared at him for taking a break from signing reports. He lowered his head into the pile of papers, looking as innocent as a sheep.

"Yes, I've been looking for you, please read this file and act accordingly to it, thank you" she dismissed Ed with the said folder. He took it and left the room before Riza started shooting him for keeping Roy away from his duty. She looked like being in a foul mood, and not afraid to show how bad it was.

The other soldier in the room ducked behind his papers, a shiver creeping up his spine. Poor guy, he didn't know what to make of the dynamics around the office. He was very confused who did what, but one thing he could understand – Riza Hawkeye was not the kind of person you wanted to confront unless necessary. The rumours about her being the bear in the team were more than truthful.

XXXXX

Edward returned to Roy's office after a few long hours to find him grasping at a paper like it was his life line. He looked at him, wondering what it meant, but didn't comment on it. "Are you done with your stuff? I've just finished mine. And... thank you for sending Hawkeye with that sandwich"

"No problem" he smiled. "Yes, it seems I'm finished here too" he replied and put the rest of the papers back into the cabinet. "You should go before me, I'll see you later, yes?"

"O-kay" Ed nodded and left the room. They usually didn't leave at the same time to avoid suspicion; it wouldn't do to be found out. The old team might know about them, but no one was as tight-lipped as them.

They met about an hour later at home. Edward was already boiling some water for their afternoon tea, a habit he picked up after he noticed Roy wasn't just forgetting to eat, but to drink anything but coffee, that when he remembered to drink it at all. He wondered how he survived before being with him, with that bad routine.

After pouring some milk in Roy's tea, he offered him the cup, accepted with a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you, sunshine"

"I'm going to choke you with your sunshine if you keep on calling me that"

"Whatever. How was your day?" the brunette lamely asked, as if they didn't see each other at work. However, Ed answered good-naturedly "I had to rummage through old documents, as usual. Hawkeye gets a sadistic pleasure on seeing me playing in the dust"

"Sounds like her" he hummed into the tea.

"How about you?"

"Same old. I've informed the Fuhrer about the accord we pulled off last night, he seemed very pleased indeed"

"Obviously, we're just that good"

Silence crept between them, though not as heavy as it was supposed to be. They enjoyed just being in each other's company, no words having to be said to acknowledge their presence. Sometimes, nothing could spoil their little silent perfection.

But nothing stays like that, some things have to destroy the balance at worst times. "I forgot to tell you... I took a three or something minutes break today and phoned my brother. Don't worry, I did it from an outer line. I invited him over Saturday; he and Winry are staying in the city until next week. I thought it might be a good idea, what do you say?"

Roy choked on his tea. He was the one who agreed to the invitation, but didn't really consider setting it into action. With a grimace, he said half-strangled "Great idea, dear" he coughed to clear his throat.

"Perfect. We should think of what we could do, I mean, we never have any guests. We always go out"

"Then why not going out?" Roy said hopeful. He hated having anyone over, Ed was a very fortunate exception.

"Because we should show them there isn't anything suspicious going on here! Come on, no one's gonna kill you, it'll be fine. All you need to do is listen to me, and everything will be just fine"

"Very assuring"

"Yup. Very, I know, right?"

Roy took another sip of his sweet tea. He most likely won't survive the week with Al next to him, if things went as well as he saw them in his head.

XXXXX

The days passed eventless for Roy and Edward. Both of them had a lot of work to do, and it looked a lot like the routine they set for themselves for the end of a trimester, but something unsettling filled the void in the usually peaceful and very much empty by day Mustang household. Not especially for Ed, who didn't look like he gave any second thoughts to their incoming visit, but for Roy. He felt like it was the national state alchemist exam all over again, his mind racing in every direction at once. He knew Al for so many years, but there was an elephant still jumping inside his head.

He reminded himself it wasn't the moment to worry about any acceptance from Edward's family, he mainly didn't care about it, but he wanted it to go smoothly for his lover, who would most likely burry him alive if he didn't make a good impression. Again, there was no impression to be made, but his completely irrational mind couldn't comprehend that. He started to understand how Hughes felt when he first met Gracia's parents and himself, the ever-bastard, joked at his expense. 'Seems like the curses are getting to me, old friend' he thought.

The damned day finally arrived, and Roy woke up like he has been running, not sleeping. He didn't remember if he actually fell asleep or he just stood limp in the bed, but he could easily acknowledge he was downright nervous. He was more than certain everything was going to go wrong, and he made it the point of the day to prove his theory.

Edward woke up that morning completely drained. The previous night, he stood up until who knew what hour to finish his stupid assessment for the national alchemist certificate, his pride not allowing him to accept Roy's proposal to complete that year's assignment with his help. Hell, he could have been sleeping with the Fuhrer and he wouldn't have accepted to pass the examination through anyone else's help. Picturing the said image of Grumman in his head made his stomach turn a little, and had to cover the idea with a lot of other images, most of them of horses running on a field. It was the most innocent image he could muster when his imagination formed the idea of having an old geezer... 'Fuck, I'm seeing it again' he mentally cursed and spitted the toothpaste on the mirror in indignation. He frowned and wiped the mirror clean.

He found Roy in the kitchen, folding napkins. They arranged the food the previous night, mostly Roy did as Ed wrote his documentation, but that didn't settle the brunette in the slightest.

"If you keep folding that, you'll get a ball, not a triangle" Ed patted his lover on the back. Roy put down the destroyed napkin and smiled. "Sorry, the rest are alright, hm?"

"Yeah, they are. What's with you? You seem off"

"Neah, just sleepy. I could use some sleep from time to time"

Ed gasped, making a face. "And I keep telling you that!"

"Why would I listen? You never listen to me"

"And you still wonder why"

They settled for a long breakfast, none too eager to eat for various reasons. They chatted about work, making plans for the next week, when Ling was supposed to authorise the first shipment. Things looked good with their strategy, and the operation was going to commence soon.

They tidied around the house for the rest of the morning, and made sure it looked decent. Nothing could incriminate them in any way, not like there was something that shady, that after they locked Roy's pretty extensive collection of fire weapons, knives, radio transmission jamming devices and blackmail material. Besides those, there wasn't anything to worry about.

After the tedious work, they both settled on the couch, Ed's head resting on Roy's knees. The former started bouncing his feet, earning himself a good punch in the stomach. "Stop that, or do you want me throwing up everything I've eaten?"

"Hm... at least for making you miserable, I'd do it" That cost him another punch, this time in the leg. "Ouch, don't break my feet now!"

"Suits you better. I'd really enjoy having you in a wheelchair and throwing you on the stairs. It'd be fun" Ed joked and kissed the spot where he hit. "Better?"

"Aw, thank you for your kindness, my little fairy" Roy teased and contracted his muscles to prepare for another blow.

"You're so lucky you have to be in one piece today, otherwise, you'd be missing some limbs by now" Ed cussed and rubbed his temples.

They frowned at each other for some good minutes, making it a stare contest. That, until the doorbell rang, and they rose up at the same time, bumping their heads, adding to Ed's heel connecting with Roy's chin when he stood up too fast. They cursed each other until they reached the door, and then arranged their messy appearance before opening the front.

XXXXX

_A few hours ago_

"Come on, Al, you act like you're forced into getting married with the rapist that got you knocked up, not like you're visiting your brother! Man up!" Winry shouted from the little living room, snorting at her husband's nervousness. Al, very much like Roy, wondered how bad that evening could go. He was still mad on Ed for hiding so much from him, but couldn't blame him, really. He didn't know how he would have reacted if he knew the truth, but that didn't really absolve the fault. He felt left-out and like arguing with someone. If it could be Mustang, he would go for it.

Winry, on the other hand, watched him with amusement. She wanted to congratulate her childhood friend for messing so much with her husband's head, it was simply entertaining. Without too much fuss, she went to the bathroom to change, and then stepped into the bedroom to startle Al with her sudden appearance. "ALPHONSE!"

The blond jumped in his chair and turned to look at her. "Damn, stop shouting, you've scared me!"

"Great" she grinned and rested her hands on his shoulders. "So, what are you waiting for? Get your ass up and let's go out"

"This early?"

"Yup, let's go for a walk, you look like you'd either kill that glass, or cry. One or the other, it's the same to me. Up, now!" she patted him on the back and tip-toed to the door to pull up her boots. Al sighed and followed her, not too eager to see his brother, especially not with Roy.

They got on the street, and stopped on their way to buy a bottle of wine. Winry insisted on it, and Al made the wise decision to let her do what she wanted. There was no point in opposing the storm.

Hand-in-hand, they walked to their destination. To Al, it sounded like he was being taken to his own funeral, and the urge to hit Roy in the face only grew. After all the mess he brought into his life, now he had to ruin his ties with his brother? Preposterous.

Before ringing the bell, Winry slapped him and told him to behave. He opened his mouth to argue, but she was already pressing the button.

From inside, some loud thumps could be heard. The blonde mechanic smirked, wondering what their very tender hosts were doing that she managed to get them so startled. The door was opened fast, and they were welcomed by Edward clutching on Roy's shirt, almost falling after walking on a small rubber ball.

"FU-" he started, but Roy swiftly shoved him to his side, making sure none of them fell on their faces. "Welcome, please come in" he said, letting go of his partner.

Ed regained his balance and looked sheepishly at his brother, who was staring at him wide-eyed. Seeing Winry holding in her laughter, he frowned.

They entered the hall and gave their coats to Roy, who politely put them on hangers. Behind him, Ed was whispering curses "Why the fuck was Hayate's toy in front of the door?!"

"Wasn't me inviting Hawkeye with her dog" Roy answered and shoved the two of them in the living room. So much for making a good impression.

He remembered how to play the good host, after all these years of helping his aunt with her guests and customers. He opened a small bottle of a pre-digestive drink and poured the liquor in four glasses, from time to time glancing at Ed, making sure he didn't do anything stupid. He inwardly smiled, thinking that he was the older of them, and he looked like he was a parent drinking with his kids. He frowned. Now, he has just made himself a great pervert.

"You have such a lovely house, Roy" Winry started in an attempt to lighten the mood. Roy smiled "Thank you, I'm glad you like it. We didn't have too much time to arrange the things, the week has been quite erratic"

"Yeah, it's the famous end of a trimester. I know Ed used to be very vocal about this time of the year. I guess you had some papers to do, being a commander" Winry answered, glaring at the two brothers who were awkwardly glaring at each other.

"Indeed, there were some boxes of them" Roy agreed.

"Seems to be a perk of the job"

Ed and Al didn't listen to any of the small talk. They were too busy with conquering the world inside their head. It seemed that Roy and Winry were enjoying their conversation, very attentive to each other's words. Little by little, the two brothers joined the conversation, that after some amount of drinking. They were still awkward, but things seemed to look up. Winry seemed very interested in Roy's knowledge of chemistry, a discipline the latter had to master in order to be able to play with fire, and he told her all the details he could take in on metal processing and engineering. He did it so diplomatically and diligent, sucking all the information the girl could offer, it took some insane concentration to notice how his eyes were lighting up on the data. He could already see a new idea of using his alchemy.

"I've been wondering, how did you two got together? I remember you used to hate each other" Winry abruptly changed the subject. Trying hard not to slap himself, Roy cast a glance at Ed and narrowed his eyes when he answered faster than him "It just happened"

"Just happened? As in jumping on ea-"

"As in working for a project" Roy corrected her before saying anything stupid. Not like she wasn't right, their first 'interaction', as he liked to put it, was after being too drunk to think clearly, but nonetheless, he didn't want to hear it. Though he might consider doing it that again, it was rather interesting, angry, vengeful sex... he made a new mental note.

"A project" Al stated more than asked, implying he wanted to hear more about it. Ed frowned and cut bitterly "Very secret"

Roy kicked his foot under the coffee table, making the older of the brothers jump a little. "Yes, we had a very big and important collaboration, you might have heard about it. It earned our previous promotion"

"Oh, that" Al made. He read about his brother's contribution to the alchemy and he could say he was impressed by the way of things. It was most interesting how they managed to combine two completely different skills to compile a new law of transmutation. But that was not the point. He still didn't like Roy for taking advantage of Ed's momentary stupidity, as he unfairly deemed it. "It was very interesting, I didn't get to congratulate you, Roy. Brother showed me some notes"

"Thank you, we worked quite some time for them" Roy said and glanced at Winry, inviting her to say something, anything at all.

"It's really nice seeing the city doing so well. I never thought it would recover so fast after the Promised Day" she said, nodding to Roy. He smiled thankful. "It was quite a rocky road, we've been working like mad since then. The Fuhrer helped a lot, we wouldn't have done so much without him"

Al shifted in his place and cupped the glass harder. "The Fuhrer seems very active"

Ed moved his eyes from his brother to his lover, who was seated in front of the other on opposite couches. Next to Al, Winry looked at Roy with big eyes, almost kind, and listened to his words with great understanding. And him, on an armchair, felt like throwing himself out of the window. Why did he agree to the invitation, come again?

The conversation continued without being heard by Ed, whose ears suddenly went deaf, and eyed Winry rather strangely when she asked him something. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention"

"Ah, you lovesick. We were taking about what a kid you were a little time ago"

"I wasn't! I'm older than you anyway" he pouted, but not as bubbly as he used to. Winry grinned, winking. "By now, you would've strangled me. You've grown, Ed, don't you say, Roy?"

"Hm?" he raised his brows. "Oh, yes, definitely. He's quite manageable"

"See?" she elbowed Al in the stomach. "Told ya they're not that bad" Ed blushed slightly. "Winry!"

"Stop it, Ed, you're not fooling anyone. Actually, I've been extremely curious about something... how does it go between you two? I mean, you're both guys. I mean, I know how it goes, but how is it for you?"

Ed's flushness only grew, causing him to choke on his drink. He burnt everywhere, especially in the cheeks. Why that of all the questions?! "Err...?"

"I don't mean to budge in, you know, but I was curious..."

"Winry, I don't think there's any need to ask such things" Al said with a small voice. He was equally embarrassed. The only one who was perfectly fine with the development of the conversation was Roy, who seemed immune to everything after all the mental churning he experienced the entire week. "We formed a very confortable routine, mainly based on our work collaboration"

"That's lame, sheesh, you sure are an old man, Roy" Winry chuckled. "Don't you do anything in your spare time?" she playfully pushed his leg with her knee.

"I should start drinking" Ed mumbled under his breath, barely inaudible. He was so red, he could easily be confused with his coat. Unfortunately, his friend heard him. "Why? He's not good at it? Roy, are you impotent?" she said wide-eyed. Roy nearly spitted in his glass, bursting into a coughing fit. That girl sure knew how to leave a grown man wordless.

Edward and Alphonse watched the duo look at each other with teary eyes. They were trying to hide their amusement, but the brothers were completely fazed. They were so not talking about that.

"Guess not, huh?" Winry said after steadying her breath. She burst into laughter once again. "Good God, that image in my head! Damn..." she said and gestured for her stomach, subtly mimicking a bulge and then pointing to Ed. Without realising, she hit a sore spot, but Roy laughed nonetheless, not flinching one bit. The image in his head was rather amusing, despite everything.

Ed swore he was going to turn purple if they kept on going with that. That was when Roy deemed it appropriated to suggest going to arrange what they've prepared for serving, and subtly reached for Winry to follow him. The mechanic followed him to the kitchen.

"Wow, you sure are impressive! How did you manage to make them sit down and not kill each other? And actually, to not get yourself killed? I hid all the knives back at the hotel" she inquired, munching on a muffin she found on the table top.

He smiled and took out some plates. "You forgot I've been putting both of them down for years"

"I guess" she hummed. "Sorry for earlier, you looked like you would fall asleep if I didn't say anything. Still, some things really need to be asked, ya know"

"Yeah, that was really something else. Did I lift off your fears?"

"Completely" she cracked and patted his shoulder. "You know, I don't think you're that bad, Roy. Though I had no idea Ed had anything for you, he was very vocal about you. And I mean really vocal"

"Don't worry, he's as vocal as always, if not worse" Winry quirked an eyebrow and her lips curved mischievously, determining Roy to immediately add "I was talking about cursing me, don't think about anything else, please"

Winry made an awed face, like everything suddenly made sense. "Ow... yeah, seems so. But still, he seems pretty passionate, he spoke really highly about you a few days ago"

"Aham" he made. So his mental gamble was right, they did talk about their relationship before Winry assaulted him in his office. He stirred once more the salad and then placed it on a tray next to the other platters and cutlery. He took out the stuffed roast from the oven and uncovered the steaming vegetables. He hummed in approval after he put the sauce in a small glass bowl.

"Shouldn't I be helping you with anything?" Winry asked, peeking over his shoulder. "Of, you're unnecessarily tall" she said and pushed his shoulder lower.

"No, just lay back and keep me company, don't worry about anything. I'm about ready here; I hope those two didn't do anything too rash, I never thought they could get that bad"

Back in the living room, Edward and Alphonse sat together in a nauseating silence. Ed raised his eyes to his brother, and said hopeful. "It was a joke, that" he rubbed his head. "Winry is just as always"

"Yeah, I guess. She and Roy seem pretty familiar"

"He's familiar with everyone, I wouldn't wonder. You should've seen him at my birthday; we went to his aunt's bar because we didn't have time for anything else. He didn't know most of the customers, but in half an hour he was friend with everyone. Damn, we had some fun, I wish you two were there. You would've had a great time, though I don't know how much you would've remembered of it"

Al tried his best to understand what was so funny in getting wasted and befriending strangers, but, after all, he was the one who used to be in a suit of armour. "You were that drunk?"

"Sure thing. I woke up in the morning with little memory of what happened and a major headache. It was very funny to go to work, all day I rested my head on his shoulder, he propped his body on mine, and we'd signed documents while drinking some good cups of strong coffee. Hawkeye found it very amusing, and she deliberately let things fall on the floor. She said it was accidental, but I bet she did it on purpose"

"She didn't come with you?"

"Of course she came with us, but she didn't drink as much as we did. That reminds me, I think it was the first time I've ever seen Roy that drunk, maybe only when we confused the tranquiliser with the sodium IV. Knox found it very funny. And maybe when we went in the North last time, and that was really something. I still get nauseous"

"Huh, you sound like you had your share of fun" Al still didn't understand what was so fun, but he sported a little smile for the sake of his brother, who looked like he enjoyed his stories.

"You bet we did. Maybe we'll go out drinking one of these days, you should see the man in action. He thinks he makes me jealous, but he's burning with it when I talk to anyone, be it a dog"

Al chuckled. That was something he could relate to, knowing how Roy was always on top of everyone. Now, the brunette didn't sound like such a bad character, maybe he overreacted. "No way!"

"Yes way! He's the most jealous person I've ever seen! I mean, he looks at the others like he'd murder them. And, knowing him, he might" His face lost a bit of its light.

"About that, brother... I don't want to intrude, but what really happened last winter? Was it that bad? You don't need to tell me, but I'm still worried" he shyly said.

"Well, it-" Roy and Winry returned laughing loudly about who knew what. They returned with two trays and they placed them on the hardwood table at the end of the living room. With a sorry look, Ed joined them, helping Winry with the setting of the table. Roy opened another bottle of wine and set it into the designated glasses.

They've eaten slowly, talking mainly about nothings. From time to time, Al glanced at Roy with hidden sorrow, in a way sad for what he presumed he had to experience. Roy smiled every time, and then turned to Ed, nearly engulfing him with his long looks. Ed felt neurotic in his place next to Roy, shivering when they accidentally touched.

Roy gently patted his shoulder, but Ed clenched his muscles too hard and he threw his fork in Winry's plate. She chuckled and retrieved his fork. "Wow, Ed, don't stab me yet! Not at the first date" she laughed.

"Huh?" he made confused.

"Silly, you didn't realise? I guess not, you men are too up your asses. No offence, Roy"

"None taken" Rey replied all-knowingly and took a sip of his red wine. "You were saying?"

"Ah, so you got it! Thanks God, I'm not mad, though with such oblivious lots, I don't know where I'm getting. Didn't you notice we, at this table, are all in couples, kind of? I think? Ya see?"

Roy snorted at the remark. "The finest observer of them all, you are. If you are so observant, may I burrow you to get the dessert? That is, if anyone hasn't got any objections"

"No, they don't. Anything for dessert! What did you prepare?" Winry said and jumped off her chair.

"Actually, we prepared. Edward mainly licked the cream off the bowls, but still..."

"Oh, shut it, I was supervising you not to burn anything" Ed pouted and set his head on the table with big innocent eyes.

"Sure thing, right, Al? You remember when you and Ed almost burnt Granny's kitchen when we were little?"

Al shrugged, not really into the joyful mood the two in-laws set... he shivered. It was such a strange thing, thinking of Roy like that. He looked at Ed, who threw Roy a deep look as he tried to deny the facts. Roy's eyes suddenly lit up, smiling fully in their darkness. It was the first time Al saw them like that, that pureness in them, without that unreadable exterior. He turned his eyes back to Winry, and the black orbs hardened back into their shallow falseness, one that would make any woman blush in ecstasy and any superior feel kissed up the ass and important. The eyes that so easily lied to everyone, his hidden weapon. Those few sparse seconds, Roy looked incredibly sincere and, he'd dare say, beautiful, though that was not a good word. He kind of understood what Edward saw in the man.

"Well, Winry, you really have to tell me, I need more blackmail material" Roy said and bumped her forearm. She chuckled. "My pleasure, I have so many good stories, he'll hate me" she laughed and grabbed his arm and they went to the kitchen to take the rest of the food.

"They are really getting well together, I wouldn't have guessed" Al breathed in. "Let's gather the plates, brother"

"Oh, yes" he answered absently. Edward took the plates and pilled them on the tray. "You know, I'm happy you came here with Winry. Roy actually put a lot of soul and determination into dusting and cooking last night, we came back home very late yesterday from work"

"Yeah, it was delicious; I will tell him after dessert. I can't praise him yet if it isn't as good as the rest, right?"

"Right you are" Edward ruffled his hair with fondness in his eyes. Alphonse was still a little taller than him, and he supposed that's how it would always be. He gave up the hope of growing a long time ago, and in a way he preferred it like that, not that he would vocally admit it. He enjoyed it when Roy pulled him up and carried him through the house like he was some frail porcelain doll, or when he had to stand on his toes to reach for his face to kiss him. They were perfect how they were, and at the moment, his face said it all.

"I haven't seen you smiling like that in such a long time, brother" Al noted. "What are you thinking of?"

"Me? Nothing!"

"I bet you're thinking how good this is going to be!" Roy commented from the door, Winry peeking behind him with a watering mouth. He came with a new tray in his arms and placed it on the table.

"Hope you'll enjoy this, Al, we've thought of you when we did it!" Roy presented him a big piece of apple tart with home-made vanilla ice cream. Despite the simple looks of the recipe, he took great pride into his perfect taste matching. He called it family heritage, a specific trait he took from his mother. From the great tales he heard from his aunt, the Xingese were very proud of their realisations.

"Hm, it looks good, Roy!" the younger blond admitted. "But apple? How did that make you think of me?"

He smiled. It was in reminder of the promise of eating apple pie with Hughes when the two brothers would get their bodies back, the promise he heard from Gracia one long and lonely night, the promise that never came into life. It wasn't something to talk over dinner, and he knew his friend wouldn't have wanted to see him sad when he were supposed to be cheerful. The time of mourning was left behind too much time ago to unbury it.

"Let's eat before it melts!" Roy replied and 'attacked' his piece of tart. "Indeed, with all due modesty, I'm so good at this" he hummed, earning some good natured laughter from the table.

"The charmer" Winry whistled and clapped her hands mockingly. Ed smiled at Roy, and stroked his tight under the table.

"Come on, praise me on something" Roy sulked at the loss of touch.

"On what? You praise yourself enough for everyone" his lover bit back and kicked his knee as to accentuate his point.

"Guess that's the way of the military, huh?" Winry suggested expectantly.

"What can I say, if a soldier didn't bark how good he was, where'd the world go? No unfair promotions and underpaid extra hours, that'd be awful! Survival at one's fittest, as a good friend would say, though under other circumstances" the brunette winked at Ed. He snorted. "Damn that woman, I hope he chokes on her bad overpriced coffee"

"Hm? Are you talking about Major Armstrong's sister? How is the Major General?" Al asked. Edward rolled his eyes. "Same bitch as ever"

"Brother! She helped us a lot!"

"Yeah, and she never ceases to remind me" he retorted and fell back on his chair with a great sigh. "She scares me when she finds the urge to appear out of nowhere at our doorstep in the middle of the night and kick me out of my own bed so she could sort her ammunition. She's got some screws loose, no wonder you two bastards get along so well" he glares at Roy, who finds the need to explain. "She has very poor time management" As if that was the problem.

"She seemed so when we stayed up in the North, she was awake almost all night and fell asleep on her papers in the morning. She was very lucky to have the Major with her, he usually woke her up when she was in the danger of slipping on her sword when she fell asleep cleaning it" Al remembered the more shady memories of Olivier. She wasn't the type to be careless, but even great minds grew tired from time to time, even her. Or at least that was what she was promoting about her habits.

The blond alchemist snorted. "Oh, yeah, let's all thank Miles" He elbowed Roy's stomach, who wasn't too far from spitting what he was chewing from laughter. He swallowed "Always thank Miles" he corrected. "Because you were asking, she is doing great, and is currently working on an accord with Drachma. She's still married to her work, most of the time, that is" Roy added on better judgement.

"That woman's not in the slightest sane, how can she stay in that cold? I've frozen my ass off when I was held up there!" Winry shook at the reminder of coldness. "I'd be drunk to warm up all the time, despite I'm not that much of a drinker"

"Oh, definitely, right Ed? Oh, I haven't told you-"

"No, no, you bastard, don't you dare" Ed stopped his lover from telling anything too embarrassing about their last visit at Fort Briggs. He, or more likely his big mouth, challenged Olivier Armstrong to have a drinking contest with him and his lover. Miles promptly refused their game, not that he feared to lose, he was a good drinker, but because there had to be someone responsible enough not to let those three alone with booze. Actually, more for surveying Armstrong and Roy, whom he knew how much damage could do together.

Roy bit Ed's hand, which was efficiently covering his mouth. The younger alchemist snatched it and patted it with care. "Ouch, cut those damn teeth"

"Too bad, you'll tell us another time" Winry said. Roy nodded. "Aye, aye, Ma'am"

"Are you plotting against me now? Brother! Let's team up against these two"

Al lowered his gaze, unsure what to say. "Well, alright. Though I don't see what we could do"

"Protect the Elric pride, Al! Duh!"

Winry grinned, her eyes glowing with mischief. "That's a deal, guys. What do you say, Roy? Do we beat their sorry asses?"

"Beat them? That's small words" he replied and ruffled Ed's ponytail. "We destroy them!"

They were all laughing, feeling like a family at last. Not the most functional family, but they had time to work on it.

The wonders that a partially clouded mind and a full belly could do.

XXXXX

Night slowly crept at their window. Inside the house, the four of them were laughing at old stories, remembering the many things they have experienced during their long trials. Al loosened up greatly, feeling more at ease in Roy's presence, and even joked with him. Maybe he wasn't that bad, and at least he wasn't some faceless stranger. They've known each other for years, and they knew what to expect from the other. It couldn't be that bad, and perhaps he might consider fully forgiving Ed for forgetting to mention some very important aspects of his life.

The phone started to ring loudly in the back of the room. Roy excused himself and answered the phone. Back at the table, the three friends were talking about their happy childhood. Ed smiled brightly at the memories and turned to look at Roy, wanting to share the happiness. But Roy couldn't see him, he was frowning and biting his lips. He talked fast, his mouth shaping words in a relentless pace. As wanting to shield himself, he turned his back to the audience, ending the conversation soon after. He ripped a small piece of paper and pushed it into his pocket. He returned to the table, his face lightening forcefully, and slid back to his place.

"Ah, it's gotten so late! You must be tired, we should get going" Winry suggested, seeing how late it has gotten.

Roy shook his head. "Oh, no, don't. We have all the time, it's the end of the week after all. You know what I've been thinking? If you want, we could go to my aunt's club. She always complains how I should take more people out for a drink, and you could meet her"

Winry looked at her husband for an answer. They looked at each other and nodded. "Why not, what harm could it make?" he replied.

"Then it's settled. Leave the dishes there, we'll clean later" Ed waved his hand at the table and stood up.

At the pub, everyone recognised the most loyal client of them all, welcoming him with salutes and jokes. He swam through the crowd, followed closely by Ed and his family, and stopped at the end of the great shady room, in front of the long bar.

"Ah, the return of the wanderer son. Still remember the way, I see" the great lady said behind the smoke of her floral scented cigars.

"I would never dare to forget it, Madame" Roy replied and kissed her cheek smirking.

"Oh, Edward, great to see you again, and you must be Alphonse and Winry. Am I correct?" Chris asked as she gently waved the smoke away.

"Please meet my aunt, Madame Christmas" the nephew introduced his sibling. She crooked a smile and extended her hand to the new-comers, who warily accepted it. "Don't be so tight, I'm not going to eat you. What nonsensical things have you told them about me, Roy?"

"Nothing too harmful, rest assured. Well, dear darling, is there any remote place available for us so we won't get into your feet?"

"How remote, my Roy-boy? Don't forget I might be indulgent, but not that much" she said and crooked her index finger inviting her guests follow her in the back of the club.

"Hah, nonsense, you're imagining things" Roy caressed her shoulder fondly and subtly slipped a note into her blouse. She pointed her hand to a private stool. "There you go, I'll send Rita to take your order"

"Thank you, Chris" Edward said and received a warm smile. "Have fun, but not that much, I'm still angry for your 'interior redecoration' from last time. I don't need another one" she glared at Roy and Ed, who both raised their hands in defence. "Winry, Alphonse, it is great meeting you. I'll see you around later, have a good time" she finally said and left them be.

The air was heavy scented, but not disturbingly so. Low music was playing softly in the background, lulling the customers into a pleasant state of mind. "It's a really nice place, though I must say your aunt looks like the real deal" Winry gasped, gazing at her rich surroundings. For all its worth, the club was very tasteful.

"Yeah, she leaves that kind of impression on people. But she's not harmful"

"Not that much" Ed commented.

"Not that much" Roy agreed. "I thought she'd throw me out of the window after last time"

"I would've thrown you out of the window after last time if I could. But obviously I couldn't" Ed rolled his eyes and brushed off some invisible dust off his coat, annoyed by the reminder of their latest night out.

"Guys, you're too shady even for my taste" Winry said as she searched thought the menu. "What's with this last time? Sounds pretty wild"

Ed and Roy looked at each other. "One must not ask about the last time" The four of them burst into laughter. "You two sure don't get bored" she eyed them one more time and waved her hand to the waitress to place her order.

XXXXX

Chris Mustang sent Rita, one of the waitresses, to take their order as she promised. With a sly smile, she returned to the bar and exited through a back door leading to a hall. She thought of her adoptive son, the boy who always wanted more and took everything he could, sometimes more. She was happy with Ed; he was a smart person and a good presence, always being there to confront Roy over the most foolish of things. They completed each other well, maybe too well on certain aspects. They reminded her a lot of her brother and his wife, the two jokers. Such pity it was, that they had to leave so much behind and die such a death, protecting their child from the mad man who was supposed to love him.

All in all, she could say she was proud of her boy.

After walking the corridor, she entered the last room and closed it carefully behind herself. From her breast, she extracted the note Roy gave her and unfolded it. She carefully read it, wondering what made him so daring into giving her the news so fast.

She frowned.

"Well, damn" she said and lit her lighter letting the small piece of paper fall into the hot flames of red fire. Could problems ever stop?

Well, that's too bad, she thought and let a cloud of smoke tumble into the thin air.

Too bad.

* * *

A/N: Pow-pow. Yup, that's it for now, until the next time. I hope you liked this, and please don't forget to leave me a review, favourite and follow. It really keeps me going and I thank you for reading!

See you soon with another... chapter. This doesn't rhyme, heh :D


	17. 17 - A name to a face

A/N: 'Morning and Merry Christmas! It's not there yet, but come on, that's not an issue, right? I will cut this short, so, this chapter is pretty much the begging of explaining new stuff. Graphic scenes and swearing, but there's nothing new, right? And, I forgot to say I don't own anything besides the plot and some characters here and there. Obviously.

I hope you'll enjoy it, and please, don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite!

Now, with the actual deal...

* * *

Chapter 17 – A name to a face

"We should have never gone out drinking with them" Roy nodded at that, his shoulder crooked on one side, allowing Ed to rest his head on it. "She's worse than you" He nodded again. "That girl's a monster" Ed concluded his series of complaints as he rubbed his bleary eyes. "How was I supposed to know Winry is so resistant?"

Roy returned his look, equally dizzy and blood-shot. "The only time in my life I can't but give you reason" he said and took another bitter sip of his coffee. Too raw, too strong, way too hot, absolutely tasteless on his aching tongue. Disgusting.

He grunted at the terrible taste, immediately regretting it as bile threatened to rise into his mouth. He suddenly preferred the bitter muddy liquid far better than that.

Ed frowned. "What do you mean? I'm always right, unlike others, you know, like um... you?"

"Hah, and who always gets you out of mess? I look at you, my fair damsel" Roy tried to flap his eyelashes, but the dizziness made it resemble what could only be called having dust in the eyes and trying to get it out.

Edward jumped to his feet and swallowed all his words as a wave of nausea bit at his brain. He slid back in his kitchen chair, and propped his head back on Roy's shoulder. "Remind me, why do we always end up in this position?"

"Because of your big mouth? Well, the metaphorical matter is quite problematic, as the anatomical aspect is just endearing" Roy hummed with a big lazy smirk. Ed threw him a look that could kill those light-hearted. "I bet even on your dying bed you would still be thinking of getting laid"

"If that'd be with you, it'd be a good way to die. Good indeed" Roy grinned, his teeth glowing into the electric light from the ceiling.

Ed pushed his head gently with the back of his hand. It was not like he cared the other man was as nauseous as him, he would have pushed far harder, but all the strength in his arms was gone. "Damn, my head hurts too much for this" he said and took the mug of coffee from Roy's hand, and gulped down a great deal. He grimaced.

"How can you even drink this shit?! Bleargh, tastes awful! What is this hemlock?"

"I can't fell its taste. But I see you've eaten a lot of shit that you know how it tastes, now that it comes to it"

"Only from you" Ed took a moment to think and quickly added "That sounded gross. I meant bullshit. Cheap flattery and convenient lies, the likes. You're full of it. Shut up, Mustang"

Roy chuckled. "Another thing that came from you I agree with. We should get drunk more often, I start to see your reasoning. They sure are right about starting to make sense out of anything after some drinks. I must be getting good at this!"

"Yet you still suck at making coffee. What the hell is this thing even supposed to be?" he placed the mug back in Roy's hand, who snorted and took a sip from the dreadful liquid. He gnashed.

"You're right, it tastes awful"

XXXXX

_The previous night, at the club_

Madam Christmas was overjoyed to see how much the table in the back could order. She didn't know where to put it, on Roy's 'making a good impression' mood or on a horrendously bad week, but the ridiculous amount her nephew must have drank sure brought her some pride. A Mustang could hold his liquor even it meant for a whole barrel of it.

Well, she supposed Roy didn't want to get to that barrel, but if things went in the same direction, he just might.

Winry finished her current glass and purred herself some more. Roy wanted to praise her on her resistance and drive, glad he finally found someone who was harder to get drunk, unlike Ed, who could be easily knocked out with pretty much anything, sometimes just with plain water. Not that it was what he needed after a long period of sleeping mainly two or three hours a night, but still, he had a reason to celebrate.

Unlike his overly cheery wife, Al didn't drink that much. He wasn't attracted by the concept of drinking more than he could hold, however, his overall mood improved significantly. Not the same could be said about his brother, who took it as a personal challenge to drink more than his friend, who was not supposed to get him under the table. Not that it mattered, as he was already with one foot lower.

Of course, Edward could make plenty of excuses, he was awfully good at it. What bothered him the most was that he didn't know the real reason why Roy took them to his aunt's club out of the sudden after receiving that call. Something told him that in the next few months, his lover's tinge of paranoia would suddenly increase, and he didn't want to know the motive.

But curiosity bit at him, and horribly so. They would have a very long talk about it. He'd make sure to make it very long, not wanting to wake up in a hospital without knowing why, like the last time.

He deserved to know why he would eventually end up in a hospital, at least. Because he would, he was sure of it. It was an unwritten law that when Roy was involved in any of his missions, he would see death before his eyes again and again. It was simply that way.

He crooked a lopsided smile. He had no time to die, when he had to make sure the General wasn't brutally murdered by who knows what or by his own bad habits. "Roy, shouldn't you take it easier?" he whispered, making sure not to be overheard.

"Perhaps" he said and drummed his fingers on the table. "But the hell with it, my aunt would come kill me if I stopped before she does" he whispers back. "Winry, I would have never guessed this side of you"

"Why? Feeling like losing the game?" she asked and leaned on Al's shoulder with glassy eyes. Roy wanted to respond with something smug, something to prevent the inevitable headache, but Ed was faster. He hated when Ed was faster at speaking his whimsical choice words. "You'd wish, right Roy?"

Roy smiled. 'Well, to the hell with my lucid mind'

"I say we play a game, and then we talk, Winry" he said and opened another bottle.

A few hours later, Ed thanked all the Gods he had ever heard of for knowing the way back home like the back of his hand, which was now tightly clasped into Roy's. At least, they made it back home in one piece, kind of, that is.

Kind of.

XXXXX

That was quite a headache, Roy thought grimly. But he guessed it wasn't all that bad, and he actually enjoyed it, somewhere in the back of his mind. Somewhere very deep in there. One could put it on his mildly masochistic behaviour, nevertheless, he felt alive and breathing. And now back to the aching, now that he reminded himself of the ways of the living.

'Damn, it hurts' he cursed and swallowed a fistful of aspirins and whatever pain killers he found in the closet. He only hoped they weren't too many to take at once, but what could go wrong.

Ed idly rubbed his wet hair with a large blue towel, drying it thoroughly. He was a little less nauseous and was actually ready for some real action. He narrowed his eyes at Roy, who put his arms up in defence, wordlessly, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. A very long and cold shower, but those were mere details.

Now that he was alone, Ed felt like it was high time to take matters into his own hands. He wrapped the towel around his head and let the edges fall on his back, staining his dark top with small wet patches. With soft steps, as to not be heard by Roy, he walked to the small table in front of the study's door, where a phone stood surrounded by small pocketbooks and scattered pencils.

After he looked around himself one more time, he did exactly as he had heard the martial police did when they investigated a murder that had something to do with phone calls. He clearly saw Roy writing something, he was sure it had to be there somewhere. He took one of the sharper pencils and scratched on the first page of every notebook and then ripped them to examine the results. Only on one of the pages some words could be made out, but that didn't help at all. With a very stylish penmanship, letters curved mockingly on the paper.

_Not a chance, sunray_, and a little sun was doodled at the end.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Ed gnashed and crumbled the paper in his fist. He made a beeline for the bathroom upstairs and pushed open the already shaking door. They had in plan to change it after one faithful night when they bumped into it confusing it for a sturdy wall. It was too dark and they were in a rather light headed mood, so the door had to suffer some really hard abuse and thumping.

The door flew open, nearly kicking Roy into the sink. He turned his head with a confused smile and a quirked brow. "What is it, Ed?" he asked and scratched his head, a small pool of water forming at his feet. He absently wrapped the long towel around his shivering shoulders, hiding himself behind the drenched cotton.

Ed didn't wait any longer and roughly grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the steamy bathroom. The towel got entangled in the taller man's feet, and it fell unceremoniously on the floor, making him stumble on it. The blond, who put all his force into dragging Roy, fell forward as his fingers slipped around the other's wrist. Like a heavy hunk of meat, he landed face first on the floor.

Roy, who rebalanced himself, crossed his arms in front of his chest, visibly unshaken by the fact he was stark naked and it was rather cold after the shower. He rested his back against the wall and patiently waited for Ed to burst into yelling or something like that.

As expected, Edward turned with a scowl on his face. The frown grew softer when he took a better look at his lover, who was impassibly staring at his nails like they were some wonders. He gasped as his eyes trailed across his tall figure, on his strong chest to his scarred abdomen. The signs of war were deeply carved on his torso, stomach and his thighs, drawing intricate figures on his translucent skin.

He didn't realise he was staring that hard, but for all his excuses, at least his object of interest was situated on the man's torso or somewhere around there. Or that's how it looked, but really, it wasn't that hard to look at Roy in all his bare splendour from his position on the floor.

As for Roy, he moved his eyes to Ed's face and smirked. "I understand how eager you are to undress me, but you could have at least told me. The floor is all wet now. Weren't you preaching about how water shouldn't get on the floor because it might swollen?" he pointed at the hardwood under his feet.

Colour returned in full force to Ed's cheeks. The frown seemed to make its triumphal reappearance, too. He tried to get back on his feet, but slipped on a small pool he dragged with his socks from the bathroom. He was back on the floor.

"See, I told you it's wet" Roy said matter-of-factly and extended his hand to help Ed up. "Up you go. So, what is the matter that made you feel the need to almost dislodge the door, again?" he turned and, after pressing his hands together, reattached the hinges with alchemy. "We really need to change the frame, looks like the poor door went at war. I don't know how much wood is left to keep mending it back with transmutations"

Ed snorted. "And how is that my fault?"

"When our house's slow demolition is in the phrase, it is always your fault" Roy hummed somewhat pleased, some other objects that needed to be changed during the year popping into his head.

The younger alchemist's eyes flew impossibly open. He gasped. Perhaps Roy didn't realise what he'd just said, but it was more than any declaration. He was told he belonged there, that he was no longer a wandering homeless like he has been for most of his life. That Roy's house was also his. That he had a home, a real home.

He fought the urge to drop to his knees.

Roy noticed the glimpse of fear in the golden orbs, burning like a bonfire. He uncrossed his arms and paced to him, letting his fingers wander on Ed's features. "Hey, is everything alright? If you want, we can stop changing stuff around, for me it's the same. If you want, we can renovate again, or paint the house in red, for all I care. We can put dots, too" he soothed, and hugged the now writhing form in his arms. "Or do you want stripes?" He stroked the long strands of blond hair, still wet but undeniably sweet scented, and hummed in his ear to calm his shivers.

"I prefer stripes, I hate dots" Ed said, voice a little shaken.

Wetness slid on his chest, and it wasn't only from their damp hair. "Are you crying? Edward? What's wrong? Edward?"

Ed hugged him closer, their understated state of clothing no longer an issue. He stopped trembling, and was now silently sobbing. "It's nothing, you idiot... I can't believe you"

"Nor can I, but please do tell what I should believe"

Ed grabbed his chin and tilted it down to take a better look at the dark eyes he enjoyed watching change shades. "It's stupid"

"Like half of the things you say" Roy couldn't miss the opportunity to get punched in the stomach, could he?

"Don't add me into your nonsense" Ed pouted. "But... I... how should I put it..."

"Well, put it" he teased.

"You really want me to beat the daylight out of you" Ed gulped a tear and smiled.

"Not necessarily, my head just stopped aching a few moments ago, so I think I'll pass the generous offer, thank you" The blond narrowed his golden eyes and roughly cupped his cheeks. "Shut up already" he said and kissed him fully, pressing all his weight into the embrace. Roy responded with little surprise, always ready to be close to his beloved. But sure, he expected to hear something close to a fight, not this. Quite some personality disorders, Ed had.

They broke the kiss and looked at each other. "Thank you. Thank you so much" Ed muttered, making Roy smile incredulously. "For?"

"For welcoming me in your life. In your home"

Roy smiled and nodded. "You were welcomed from the first moment I realised how much I loved you. And trust me, it was a long time ago"

Edward simply grinned. It was a sheepish looking one, but he couldn't help it. He was smitten, he was in love even more than he used to be. Than how much he thought he was. He was graceful for it.

With a swift pull down, the blond captured Roy's lips once again, less harsh and more passionate than before. He opened his mouth eagerly and allowed the sudden intrusion prodding his lips and sliding inside the cavity. Their tongues met halfway, as if they were waiting to greet each other, and formed a rhythmic aggression between them. Roy stepped back a little to get a better grip on Ed, whom he lifted up and cupped his perked backside to hold him. The blond's legs automatically wrapped around his waist, and he felt himself being pushed in a wall, the familiar coldness hitting him under his clothes.

"So impatient, greedy one" Roy slurred his words, a tell-tale smirk on his face. His eyes were darkened with lust, their shade of an impossibly perfect black, like a room that never saw light.

"Told you to shut up" Ed said with a dangerous glare, and sealed his mouth with a hand.

Roy could barely contain his chest. He enjoyed seeing that slightly dominant side in his lover, a part he saw in every little rebellion, but always in new forms. Perhaps his male pride didn't agree with him, but he would have loved to feel some old-fashioned domination from time to time. And he could swear it would be like pure gold.

They would turn into gold.

Small nips at his cheekbones, and a hand started trailing on his chest. It tickled, really, and it sent shocks of heat to the middle of the problem. A feral growl slipped past his lips when Ed's wandering fingers wrapped themselves around his already half-erected cock and moved in a hard tug.

He put more force into pushing his younger lover into the wall, the space between them smaller than before. He could feel every muscle in Ed's body, and hear his rapid heartbeat, the heat of it all sending waves of arousal to his groin, rapidly curving his pants' front. Their mouths smacked together again and again, the vice-like clench of their jaws seeming predatorily.

Edward pressed his hand on Roy's chest and pushed him away. He disentangled his feet and took a step back with a beamingly cruel smile. He examined him from head to toe, tracing the convulsing muscles into his memory.

Roy watched with amusement how starving eyes watched him with hunger. He wanted to be devoured, one way or another, the carnal need surpassing any rational thought. He wanted it so badly, and he didn't need that much to be stirred up. He liked being so naked, so exposed, and have his partner looking at him like he was a great feast on a starved man's ta- "ARGH!" he gasped, a groan chocking him, and blew his eyes wide as, out of nowhere, the blond head in front of him disappeared and planted itself between his legs, engulfing him fully.

His hand automatically went over his mouth to muffle himself, but Ed slapped him with the metal in his palm, and lifted his index finger disapprovingly. He bobbed his head harder and harder, and when he felt Roy's hands slowly making their way to his hair, he let the leaking head slip and turned to placing light kisses between his thighs.

Roy made a strangled sound as the chilly air hit his overheated dick, and it bit at him. He attempted pulling Ed's head higher to signal his need to resume the previous ministration, but that golden head seemed to be attached to the body by iron threads, and not by flesh and bones.

"Uh-huh" he hummed into the soft inner thigh flesh. He brought his flesh hand up on the milky skin, too soft for the rest of the body that it was attached of, and scratched his nails in languid motions, eliciting sinful, yet gulped, grunts.

"Edward, and here I was thinking that you loved me" Roy said with a tinge of desperation in his voice, not in the mood to ask for anything. Ed looked in his eyes through his eyelashes. "And what about the purity of love and stuff like this, hm?" he said and traced the most prominent vein under his cock with one cold steel finger.

Roy narrowed his eyes, another soft sound forming into his throat as Ed nibbled a particular bundle of nerves on his thigh. "To hell with them" he growled and cupped the blond's chin roughly. He moved his lover's head higher, now that it seemed so much lighter.

'That's more like it' Ed mused to himself. Roy was literally taken aback when he actually plunged his head forward and grabbed his hips to bring the slicked dick to his lips and capture it inside his moist cavern. He planted his nails in the flesh at grasp and started moving Roy's body back and forward, as to encourage him to move faster, on his own accord.

The demand was understood and complied to, Roy's hips starting to move at a firm pace, fucking himself into the awaiting mouth. His head tilted slightly back, the sheer pleasure clouding his judgement. Ed hummed approvingly, sending a fornication sensation to the coiling in his stomach. He desperately wanted more and more. Like he could read his mind, the blond's throat suddenly relaxed and took him even deeper, almost to the hilt, sending Roy's hands deeper into his hair. He pounded himself faster, a tiny voice in his head concerned of chocking the enthusiastic man in front of him. But he knew what Ed was capable of, and didn't want to hurt his pride either. He would at least go a tiny bit slower, for the sake of the argument.

Then he felt it, the need of release becoming imminent. He yanked Edward's head back and took a deep breath, staring into the golden orbs of his beloved. The look on the face below him was purely maleficent, the long strands of bright blond hair falling into his eyes like cascades of treasured fortunes. He swallowed hard and attempted to get to his knees and kiss him fully, but he was stopped when hands grabbed his buttocks and spread them.

He crooked one brow, not in displeasure, but in surprise. He guessed it was about time they changed their normal pace, and he welcomed it. He didn't care much about who did what in their physical bonding or whatever was that called - if he needed to be filled, he'd gladly do it. As in consent, he spread his legs a little more.

Edward, however, slowly rose up, his fingers touching everywhere. He encircled Roy's arse with the tip of his index finger, as if testing the waters, and then gave the ass a firm squeeze. Roy chuckled, earning himself a kick in the leg.

"How stupid, you think I'd let you do nothing?"

"What a shame to be thinking you might have suddenly decided to have me underneath you" Roy mocked and pushed at his cheek with his thumb. Ed snorted. "While I stand? And what, to carry your fat ass around when you have like what, thrice my weight? No way, bastard, you have to suffer"

Roy wanted to argue he wasn't that heavy, he was only taller and he didn't have heavy metal instead of limbs to make him heavier, but Ed gave him a light kiss on the lips. "It's too much effort right now, but once I deem it, you won't be able to walk for at least a week, mark my words, Mustang!"

After another little kiss, Roy agreed "Huh, it actually sounds like a good plan. When do we start?" He got a frown.

"Have I ever told you that you talk unnecessarily much?" Ed grabbed his head and kissed him again. With one hand, he lowered his pants and shook them off on the floor, then pulled off his tank top. He jumped back on Roy, who caught his feet in the air and secured them around his waist. He was grounded into the wall, his backside already being prepared by two thrusting fingers, promptly coated in saliva. "Stop-ah, stop that, just get on with it, ah... we do it way too often to actually hurt me, ah"

"Neah, don't care" Roy said as he thrust a few more times before pulling out and quickly replacing the fingers with himself. He entered with a swift move, and started thrusting slowly, mewling sounds ringing to his ears, along with a glorious kick in the kidneys. At that, he started moving faster, till he started pounding into Ed's hole, smacking their bodies together. He pushed harder and harder, long movement back and forth, slow at the beginning and forceful at the end.

They writhed one against the other, Ed entangling jet black locks in his fingers. Their lips crashed, moans dying in their throats before they escaped.

With a steady change of pace and angle, Roy hit Ed's prostate. Edward broke their kiss and threw his head back, hitting it into the wall, denting the flat surface. He was too lost in pleasure to feel any pain, and grounded himself faster on Roy's thrusting cock. He almost screamed when he felt his release, followed suit by Roy coming deep inside the clenching insides, like a small explosion.

And then pain hit him. "OUCH!" he groaned loudly close to Roy's ear, whose shoulders slumped down in discomfort, almost dropping Ed and catching him when it was barely too late. "Agh, don't scream into my ears, dammit" he hissed and lowered the blond to his feet.

Ed rubbed his aching head, narrowing his eyes to Roy. "It's your fucking fault, you bastard! You could have held my head or something, or just not pound me into the wall!"

"How is that my fault?!" Roy asked, and then gasped, looking at the wall in question. The once creamy coloured surface was now grey from the hole in the concrete. Ed turned on his heels to look at his work of art, and almost chocked on his saliva.

"Roy, dear, what were you saying about changing the wallpaper?"

Roy chuckled and gave his a peck on top of his head. "That it was a good idea indeed" he said and pressed his hands to the wall, repairing the denture without covering it back with the wallpaper. He didn't like the colour anyway.

XXXXX

"If they didn't make me drink so much! It's only their fault" Winry groaned and closed the suitcase. "Damn Roy and Ed and their booze and shit! Argh! Next time Mustang has such ideas I'm beating them out of his head, that asshole!"

Al smiled reassuringly at her, not knowing what to say. He had to admit, he didn't know how his wife had been able to drink so much, and actually didn't understand why she had to drink all that quantity of alcohol, but that was none of his area of expertise. He was the one who lived in a suit of armour for years, so what did he know about such things?

Winry continued cursing while she packed their things and prepared them for the next day, when they were supposed to catch the train in the morning. With that vicious headache, she didn't know how they would make it to the station, but she guessed she had Al to do everything, as he wasn't as buttered as her. He actually looked very fresh.

She smiled. It was all so simple.

Al suggested they should go out for a walk, see the city one more time before retiring for the night. He was fascinated by the speed of the rehabilitation, given the fact that the Central was left in a pretty shaken state after the Promised Day. Well, that happens when you have so many alchemists at disposal.

It was amazing how fast Amestris recovered after the event that should have put an end to its existence. Grumman, after assuming the role of head of state, instructed all his subordinates to help into the reconstruction of the country. Despite the rough shape some regions were left into, with the help of sheer will, manpower and alchemy, the country rose back to its glory in less than an year. People regained their trust into the military when well-known faces arrived with new strength, determination and a great story, men like Mustang or Miles giving real hope to the masses. Grumman was a convenient figure and experienced leader, straightening the path to the top for his protégé.

"What do you think of Roy and Ed?" Winry asked Alphonse as they walked in the central park. It was a beautiful patch of nature in a modern city, one of the many parks in it. They sat on a bench in front of the lake, watching wild ducks making loops on the water surface.

"I don't know what to say... Roy is a nice enough guy, and I know him well, or most of him, but still... it's strange to see brother with anyone, especially him. I mean, I don't mind he's found someone, but really? Mustang out of all people? He could have chosen someone less conspicuous and, well, not him"

"Hmh, I think I know what you mean. I guess that's how Ed felt when we married, too"

Al turned to look into her eyes, suddenly realising his selfishness. Of course Ed felt out-of-place when he found out that his only family was getting married, leaving him alone to start his own life. He must have felt left out, forgotten. "Poor brother... I shouldn't have reacted that way" he muttered.

Winry smiled and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, I bet Ed already forgave you. After all, he loves his little brother"

"Hah, I guess so. I hope he is happy with Roy. Though, it's him..."

"Damn it, Al, You have one sole idea and one only. Even if it's Roy, he sure is happy, I'm more than certain life's good with him" Winry replied, her smirk almost screaming the other implications. Al nodded with a sour face. He couldn't help imagining a very graphic scene of Roy and his brother, and didn't know how to erase it from his head. He didn't need to see such things. No, he could do without them.

He was sure his brother was happy with Roy, and in a way he was happy too. Edward deserved to settle a little after the mess his life used to be.

Maybe not with Roy, but, well, he wasn't the one who was with him, so it was none of his business.

He kissed his wife on the forehead and held her close. She was such a great person, always saying the best things at the best moments. She was an angel when she didn't hit anyone with a wrench, a true delight.

XXXXX

Edward was definitely not happy with Roy. He laid in their shared bed with a deep scowl on his face. After they had two more rounds of rather strenuous sex, this time no objects being damaged in their passionate moment, he suddenly remembered why he went upstairs to scream at Roy. Definitely not for what they just did.

Roy was absolutely unfazed by Ed's accusing face. It was not like he didn't care, he did, but he started being immune to it. After all, he pretty much saw it on a daily basis. He was on his back, staring at the ceiling. "If we change the door, we should also buy a small cupboard for the bathroom. We have too many towels and too little place for them"

"Okay, we'll search for one when we buy new wallpaper, too. Or paint. Let's choose a livelier colour for it, that greyish beige thing is dull"

"Yup. I think something soft would do... maybe some light blue or green. Maybe yellow? Peach yellow? It would look nice, the space is pretty dark"

"Yeah... we should look" Ed hummed. He frowned. Again, Roy distracted him. "You know, I was supposed to be angry with you"

"Oh, really? If that's how it is when you're angry with me, I should put more effort in unnerving you"

Ed flipped on his stomach and planted his elbow in Roy's liver, making him sharply breath in. "Don't you even dare" he said and climbed on the brunette's irregularly moving chest. "Okay, time to speak. What the hell was with that note from the phone?"

Roy calmed his breath and said with a smirk "Hah, did you like it, sunray?"

"Stop with your sunray, and tell me what you are planning. Why did we go to your aunt's bar last night?"

"To present her your brother and sister-in-law" Roy retorted. "Why, do you suspect there was more?"

"There is always more. So, speak up, I'm starting to lose my patience"

"My, my, so dangerous. I see all that time with the guys up North didn't do you very much service"

"I hate you so much" Ed snarled, getting himself a soft kiss on the forehead. Roy gently pushed him off his chest and propped his body on his elbows. "Yes, you never fail to remind me. But you see, I'm hungry, should we go out and eat something? What do you think?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fine, take me somewhere I can bankrupt you, I feel like doing so. But we're not done"

"We're never done, I assure you"

XXXXX

Ed entered first in the restaurant, closely followed by Roy, who unknotted the silk scarf around his neck. He smiled at the waiter who showed them to a more reserved table. Very gallantly, the taller man pulled out a chair for his lover, who was a breath away from strangling him with his bullshit behaviour. "If you keep doing that, I swear I'll make sure you won't be able to move for a long time"

"Oh, and what would you do?" he asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Just watch me" Ed narrowed his eyes. A random waiter came with two menus, but soon fled away, intimidated by the fierce look in the blond's eyes, who forgot he was not supposed to look at someone like that, especially at an innocent civilian. Perhaps Roy didn't feel any danger in those golden orbs, in fact, he actually enjoyed the angry glimpse in them, but others didn't take it that well.

"Stop scaring people away. No wonder why everybody gets so paranoid around you" Roy said and flipped open the menu, seeming in deep thought. In reality, he wasn't even reading it.

Edward snorted and placed both of his hands on the table, without standing up. "Hah, not my fault people feel violated when you look at them"

Roy looked up at him with awe. "That's a new one. So resourceful, Fullmetal! I'm completely impressed, praise you"

"At least I am, you General bastard"

It was the standard conversation when they were in a place where people might overhear them, that when they didn't talk business or alchemy. They were merely playing their same old roles, the ever complaining, bile-spitting and childish subordinate and the always daring, sweet-worded and arrogant superior officer. That was their show, their mask over the relationship they shared behind the closed doors. It was safer, using their ranks and not their names, not wanting to seem too familiar. They bit at each other anyway, so there wasn't much of an effort to put up. It wasn't like anybody knew about them, and fewer had any reasons to believe it was true after all, but it was just them being cautions. At least in public.

A middle aged waiter came to them with a beaming smile and fine gestures. "What a pleasure to have you here tonight, sirs. Excuse my colleague, he's new. What shall we have this evening, hm?"

Roy closed the menu cryptically and looked at Ed, who shrugged lightly. "I believe you should surprise us this time as well" he replied and smiled politely to the waiter, who nodded. He was gone with a knowing smirk.

The chefs always outdid themselves when it came to them, and improvised all the time. Roy, before the first time he ever brought Edward here, never ordered anything in particular. He asked to be surprised. And he always was.

They were currently at one of the best restaurants in Central in terms of food and serving. The location was rather central, but didn't look that fancy as one would suppose such high class standards to be housed in. It had a warm looking interior design, much like a family-owned business, and the waiters were polite and helpful, really pleasant to talk to. Those who were working there for a longer time knew Roy and Edward very well, and always showed them a more secluded table in the back for their privacy. Maybe the first ten times they came there, it could have passed as work-related dinner, but two years of constantly going there at all the possible hours could be slightly suspicious even for them two.

And, of course, perhaps because one of Roy's most precious informants worked there and always served at their table, they were never frowned upon. Actually, they were found really sweet by the girls in the kitchen, and they all envied Ed's hair. And perhaps because Chris Mustang was a good friend of the owner, but that was obviously irrelevant.

After they finally ate, Edward sighed. "Now, are you ready to talk?"

Roy looked at his wine glass, watching how the liquid rolled around when he moved it circularly. "It's quite little to say. Seems like I managed to get more people who want my head on a plate. Though maybe this one doesn't want my head, just a limb or something. Like a trophy to put on a wall"

"Huh, tell me something new. What did you get yourself into this time? Should I reserve a room in a hospital or something?"

"Hopefully not. But I think we should get going, the sky is nice outside" Roy said as he signalled for the note.

XXXXX

_The previous day_

"Major General, Sir! Telegram for you! Fresh news all the way!" Karley announced from the door, waving a scrap of paper. Olivier Armstrong lifted her head from her palms with a great sigh. "What do they want this time?" She took the offered paper and read it carefully, trying not to miss a word. Not that it was that hard to miss anything, as the only words were 'Did you hear how much the fresh horse meat costs. Stop. It's on sale. Stop. End'

She leaned back on her chair, looking at the black haired communication officer. "Tell them I want to buy some for the winter" The man nodded and returned to his seat in the other room.

Olivier looked at the former Second Lieutenant Henschel, now a First Lieutenant. After Buccaneer's regrettable death and Miles' temporary situation in the East, he remained one of the most important aides in the queen's lair. He was a witty man and very sharp, understanding her commands fully and trusting her with his life. Maybe that was just the North's way, everyone put their lives' in the Wall's hands.

Henschel nodded and left the room without further questions. The female General entwined her fingers and patiently waited. Finally, Henschel returned with a portable telephone and took his leave.

She stood up from her chair and hopped on the table. Playing with her long blond hair, she extended a hand to the phone and dialled a number she knew by heart. She waited for a while, no one answering. When she finally decided to end the call, a voice answered. "Mustang"

"No shit" she replied and leaned back on the wall behind the desk. Roy snorted through the phone, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm so sorry to say, but I have very little time at disposal"

"Why, neck deep into the matter, as usual?"

"Not this time, unfortunately"

She snorted. "Why, did you get dumped already? Smart kid"

"No, you'd wish me alone and miserable. Of course, if you want to be alone and miserable with me, I wouldn't complain, dear" Roy teased, a sound of rustling being transmitted through the speaker. Good, he took something to write. It meant she was supposed to hurry and speak.

"Okay, straight to business. I've got words from the market, and they seem to sell some good quality horse meat at good prices, perfect for a fancy dinner. You should hurry up and buy some, winter is coming soon and I heard it's going to be cold"

"Ah, my darling, always so attentive with me. Thank you, I will. I will send you some, or maybe who knows, I might be able to give it to you in person" Roy slurred over the speaker. Olivier gave a giggle to that, almost falling off the desk from the stupidity of all this. Okay, she knew where she would be spending her holidays this year, and she'd be damned if she didn't drink Mustang's entire home bar. That is, if anything remained after her previous visit in Central.

"You are so sweet. Well then, I'll leave you at your things. I'll hear from you, be nice and good" she made a kissing sound and disconnected the call with a snarl. "Bleargh, keep it in your pants, Mustang" she said and jumped off the desk. She walked to the window and looked through it.

Miles overheard some not-intended-to-be-heard conversation the last time he came to Briggs, less than a month before. While playing with the radio, he accidentally tuned into the enemy's frequency, and he wasn't particularly pleased of what he heard. Obviously, Olivier found next, and sent him back East to gather more information. And now, there were the results. She had to think how to send a more detailed description of the situation to Roy.

XXXXX

"Let me get this straight. Now you no longer have a single person wanting you dead, you have a commander with an army after you? As in an entire state? What the hell have you done this time?!" Ed exploded. He walked shoulder to shoulder with Roy, stepping on the pavement covered in dead leaves in the small park.

"It wasn't that hard, really, and they don't want me as dead as you think, I told you. Only a little. I mean, I've only played a little with the politics in Drachma, not much"

"It's freaking Drachma, for crying out loud! They're like savages! Why would you do that, when you want to ascend the ranks? You should form alliances with them, not try to get your neck slit by them! Or half-slit, since you say they want you a little dead. Anyway, what the hell is a little dead?!"

"Not with Armstrong in the North. She's valuable, and has a bounty on her head in their country. So no alliances. Especially after the Promised Day... did you forget when Kimblee wiped out an entire army for that philosopher's stone? The middle of the problem is our growing relationship with Xing. The rails I was talking about not too long before are on the process of making, the miners working at their earnest and the engineers drawing up the project. That's the issue – if we build this railway, we have a better opening to Drachma. It's very hard to reach it because of the mountains, but through the desert, it's plain land"

"Okay, true, but the desert has always been there. And it makes no sense"

"But it makes. Me having good opening and strong allies – Xing has a big population of fierce warriors, and seems like Aerugo is finally agreeing with our armistice, and they have great plains and opening to the ocean, and many other things – this equals me having power to strike and take away other countries. I am considered a dangerous expansionist, and it seems like my very fast promotions scared this almost-General away. Heard he's the equivalent of a Major General, actually"

"Okay, but who exactly?"

"No one interesting, this one. Some big shot in their military, but at our fingernail tip. Though, the guy behind him, he's the real deal. There's, how to put it... some chemistry going on between us. A lot of chemistry"

"Aham, an old love, I get it. And he's who exactly?"

"General with who knows how many stars and I hope he's an officer in reserve because I don't know if there are any grades he doesn't have beside the presidency title, on his name Albert Crendell, commander of troops, military deserter, the most promoted man in the army, mass murderer, brain washer, national hero, and all you can think of and a few extras" Roy said with a grim look. "I get only the best. It's a forbidden love we have, no one can understand it, you see. It's special. The crook has a little too many relations to shrug him off, on the other matter. No that there is any linkage whatsoever, no"

Edward's eyes widened at the name, missing the rest of Roy's chit-chat on whatever he shared with the man. He wasn't interested in his lover's past relationships or what he was bubbling about. "Wow... how can you sleep at night?" he finally asked, rubbing his hands.

"I manage" Roy hummed and patted his shoulder. He was in deep shit, as usual, but maybe this time he won't land in any hospital bed, he hoped.

He still had hope.

XXXXX

_Fourteen years ago, in an Eastern military training base dormitory_

"Left, incoming!" a blond boy yelled after Maes Hughes, throwing a ball made out of rugged clothes. With the precision of a fetching dog, he caught it with one hand and threw it to a fellow trainee. The boy stood inertly as the ball advanced through the air, and suddenly crouched when it almost reached his face. Behind him, Roy jumped from one of the beds, caught it and plunged in front of the makeshift gate, throwing the ball right through the goal-keeper's hands. All the teens in his team climbed on his back, screaming their victory over their comrades.

"Damn you, Roy, how are we supposed to beat you at this game?!" one of the older boys and the dorm's junior leader, Carney Carlson, asked Roy as he was shaking his team off him. Roy smiled at him and wanted to answer, but his best friend, Maes, was a faster talker, and sometimes, a better one. "Don't worry, Carnes, 'cause you'll never beat us. It's simple, really"

"Ha-ha, Mae, you bet we will. Just watch us next time!"

"Sure thing, man, sure thing!"

Loud thumping sounded from the corridor. A red haired girl opened the door and shouted "Boys, get your shit in order, we've got attendance!"

"How long left, Lisa?" Roy asked as he put back some blankets on their respective beds that fell on the floor. The girl threw Maes two pillows she burrowed the day before along with two empty bottles of some nameless booze and replied "They were in the girl's dormitory like five minutes ago, I jumped through the window. Hurry your shit, I don' feel like running around the camp 'cause they caught me here!"

"Here!" Carney said and threw her a portable gas burner they used for marshmallows and three packs of cigarettes full of burnt stumps. It was a common trade they had with the girls in the next-door dormitory, exchanging goods and returning the empty packages, but it wouldn't do either of them a favour to show up with something that didn't belong to them, especially with objects like these that were highly restricted amongst the trainees.

Lisa snatched the stumps and stuffed them in her bra, and wrapped the gas burner in the scarf she was wearing and rolled it to look like it was empty. "Thanks, see ya all in the mass hall! Good luck, boys!" she said and ran back to her dormitory. One of the boys ran to announce the ones in the other sections about the incoming inspection visit, the rest continuing on hiding unwanted possessions and tidying up the room.

At the very last moment, they managed to clean up everything. Every week, the two separate trainee dormitories in the Eastern Military division received visits from their instructors, inspecting the state of their belongings and how they kept their rooms. Of course, the camp was in top shape for those moments, but never for the visits from the bigger fishes in the military that lacked the decency of announcing themselves.

"What is with this commotion?"

From the door, four officers entered the sleeping room. They all narrowed their eyes at the twenty boys in the room, all aligned and saluting their superiors. "Sir, squad thirty-two Atlas, boy's dormitory number fourteen wing Condor!" the boy who was in charge with the wakeup call in the trainee camp announced.

Carney took a step forward and greeted the officers sternly as the 'chieftain of the tribe', as his friends called him. "Cadet Carlson, Sir!" One of the men waved his hand dismissively and shrugged him off as if he were some dead leaf. The boy darted back into the formation, not letting his salute fall, or his posture. He was proud of his position as a squad leader, and he wasn't in the mood of making himself look like a fool.

After the formalities, the four men scrutinised the room thoroughly, failing to find anything out of order.

Or, actually... "What are these?" one of the officers asked in the general direction of the door. From there, a tall and alarmingly slim officer who couldn't be older than thirty, a Major by the looks of his badges, came strolling in. He ran his hand through his black hair and extended the other to the lower soldier. "Whose belonging are these?" he asked as he searched the room for a glimpse of incertitude.

Duncan, a boy in his last year of training, wanted to admit his fault. What those objects were, it was beyond doubt – amulets designed to 'protect' the superstitious lots from baleful spirits, and provide those who sold them with good money. Duncan was a fast learning trainee with a sly tongue and determination, aiming to become a military doctor, but with a bad financial status. A gambler for a father, a drunker for a mother, two happy-spending sisters and a happy-trigger and currently incarcerated brother for other siblings. He could say he practically raised himself, and could also say that he earned his own money from day one. An easy catcher of the tendencies, he smelled how anxious and fearful of the greater forces were the masses, and how they were so easy to fool with grand words. He read all he could find in the closest library on celestial protection, and started a small business on telling the fortune and selling overpriced charms. Obviously, such acts were forbidden in the military, but someone had to pay the rent back home.

With a strangled voice, he started "You s-"

"Cadet Mustang, Sir!" Roy presented himself and stood forward. "Duncan, no need to cover me. Major, Sir, they are objects I use for practising alchemy. I am preparing for the national exam. I'm trying to elaborate a theory on the transmutation of metals and such, though I'm not all that good with them. I haven't completely honed my skills" he lied with ease, all the time smiling with a grandiose facade of embarrassment like he had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. He approached the man with the bag and lightly touched it with one finger. "I am very sorry for causing such disturbance"

"You know you are not allowed to use alchemy within these grounds" the Major said and took the bag of small metal pieces to examine it further.

"I am aware of this, Sir, but I believe that we could use some findings for our new line of weaponry. Here is the best place to experiments this aspect, and I want to help" Roy continued, not sure of how things would turn out. Duncan frowned, ashamed by his mistake, and lowered his eyes humbly.

"Mhm, I understand. Well, soldier, you should be more careful with this kind of things. However, I will take these into my custody, as a mean of precaution"

"Thank you, Sir, and please, forgive my imprudence and lack of judgement" Roy added, saluting at his earnest.

The Major and his men left, leaving the dorm breathing relieved.

"Why did you do this, Roy?" Duncan asked, his eyes watery. "You could have gotten into some real problems, I mean, playing such thing with a superior? You don't need to compromise yourself for me! Damn it, Roy!"

"Neah, don't worry, I've been causing problems since I was a child, I'm used to darting my way out of them. You have way too many on your plate. And most of the people around here know about my alchemy, so there's no secret in here" he shrugged it off.

"But Duns might have his share of problems if that meathead searches the base. Many idiots have things like those" Hughes suggested, cleaning his glasses. "It might be dangerous for you, lying to a Major"

"To search for hair pins? So many people use these, even I do when I'm working in the kitchen" Roy replied and patted Duncan's arm. "You need to start another business"

The senior year smiled and thanked him whole-heartily. Of course Roy changed his amulets into worthless hair pins. For all his big mouth and slick attitude, he was a great man. He always had a small pen up his sleeve to draw alchemical circles on his hands when needed, like his teacher instructed him to have until he decided on the suited type of alchemy for him. Some basic transmutation was an easy feat.

That night, Maes lowered his head to Roy's bunk underneath his and nudged him softly with a slipper he found at hand-reach. "Asleep?" he whispered.

"No" Roy replied and rubbed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. One of the boys was snorting soundly, covering their whispers. "What is it?"

"Why did you do that? You know you can't save everyone, idiot. Do you know who that guy was?"

"Hmph" Roy snorted. "Of course I know. He's Crendell, the greatest kiss-my-ass dog in the MP. Don't worry, I've gotten his attention, it might get me some points. I'm becoming a state alchemist no matter what, and that guy won't be getting in my plans"

"You sure?"

"Come on, Maes, you never trust me. I earned something good today. Now, go to sleep, I don't want to make up something to cover for you sneaking out of your bed in the middle of the night, 'cause I might not"

"Bah, what a friend you are" Maes gasped and rolled back on his bed. "G'night, traitor"

"Goodnight, friend" Roy whispered and covered his head with his soft blanket, charmed from the hands of one of the girls who did the laundry in their dormitory.

...

"Roy! Help me here, man!" Carney yelled after Mustang. He turned sharply and looked at his fellow cadet, who held some porcelain crocks in his arms.

"What are these?" Roy asked and inspected the flowery fragments. His eyes blew wide in realisation. He saw this pattern somewhere, all he could hope was that they weren't what he thought they were.

"Major General Ackroy's traditional and super old Xingese vase. The one he said he will have our heads if we touched it. And I broke it"

"Shit" Roy cursed. "How the hell did you break it?"

"You see, I had to report our training results, that Crendell or whatever his name is sent me to deliver some papers into Ackroy's office, and I bumped into it. It was in front of the door! It was impossible to avoid it! I'm sure old man Ackroy did it on purpose! Roy, what am I gonna do, I graduate in three months, I will be demoted from the first day, or worse... What the fuck am I gonna do, man?"

"Easy, Carnes, do you have all the pieces?"

"I think so. I took all I could find there, it's clean now"

"Okay... let's see what I can do" he said and produced a piece of chalk from his pocked. He drew a circle and some other symbols on the floor and the pressed his fingertips to the surface, emitting blue light. The vase reformed itself in front of their eyes. "Was it something like this?" he asked, looking in the frightened grey eyes in front of him.

"Yeah, something like this... do you think he will notice?"

"The old man? Neah, he won't suspect a thing, after all, he doesn't know it's missing. Though the problem is how we put it back"

"I heard he isn't at the base right now. He would be returning in the evening"

"Great then! Let's put it back" Roy said and took the expensive vase in one arm and pulled Carney with the other. "Let's hurry before we get into trouble"

They sneaked in front of the office, looking around to make sure they were alone. Covered by Carney's back, Roy kneeled and started picking up the door's lock with the safety pin on his trainee badge and a needle he had hidden in his boot's lining. "How did you learn to break locks?"

"Out of necessity? You just make sure we're alone, I'm almost finished"

"Hurry, I hear steps"

An oblivious officer turned around the corner. Roy grabbed his colleague and dragged him inside just in time. "Whew, nailed it. Put it where it was"

Carney put the vase back where he found it, close to the doorframe. Indeed, if one didn't know it was there, he would definitely bump into it when he opened the door.

The knock turned, however, and both boys jumped under the desk. Roy put a hand over Carney's mouth, making sure any sounds he could possibly make were lost in his palm. The boy nodded, and he let his hand down.

The Major who visited their dorm two days before entered the office like he owned the place. He put some papers on the desk and then looked around. He cleared his throat, wondering if he closed the door or not the last time he entered, but shrugged. On his way out, he looked at the vase, and kneeled in front of it, examining it. He didn't remember that side being visible, but maybe he didn't look properly at it.

A Lieutenant entered the room and excused himself, informing Crendell he was needed in the conference room. The man nodded and left the room after a quick glance. The Lieutenant locked it back.

The boys let out a breath they've been holding the whole time. "Let's get the hell out of here"

After Roy had to pick again the lock and close it back, they ran down the corridor to the kitchen, where they were on duty that evening. There was great surprise when they bumped into the man that nearly discovered them in the General's office, who didn't seem moved about their haste or presence.

"Why is the hurry, cadets?" he asked, recognising Roy in an instant. "Oh, Mister Great Alchemist, how are you?"

"Very well, Sir, thank you. Are you finding your stay here pleasant?" Roy answered sheepishly, not knowing what to reply.

The Major crooked a brow, but then shook his head. "You're the first to ask, but I find it fine, quite fine as a matter of fact, thank you" That insolent kid, he dared asking such things. He wanted to know more about that black haired boy with long eyes.

Carney wanted to punch Roy in the gut with his pleasantries, but it seemed they worked. The officer looked at the brunette from head to toe, pausing at a small chalk smudge on his sleeve Roy hid naturally when he felt the scrutinising eyes on it. Crendell crooked a small smile and then nodded. "Well, return to your business, you are dismissed"

...

Other two days passed eventless, and Roy and Maes were relaxing on the lawn after a long morning of running around in the camp. The visiting Major, who they learnt he was an inspector in the military police who was promoted surprisingly fast in the past few years, was due to leave the next day. The whole camp was on fire, not because they had an inspection, that was their last worry, but because their General was way too excited for the visit. They had to triple their training results in a matter of days, and the entire team was drained from the effort.

After Ackroy was satisfied seeing his trainees looking something similar to dying fishes, they were granted a free afternoon. Only an hour passed since the lunch, and three quarters of the camp was already fast asleep, and the rest was crawling through the extensive training grounds to stretch a little after whatever they did that day. The scenery was sinister, and if any foreign dignitary would come and see their state, he would definitely laugh at the Amestrian military. They looked terrible.

Not much could be said about Roy. Working his charms with the lady who was in charge of scheduling their duties, he managed to get to work in the kitchen with Hughes and Carney, and that meant they did pretty much nothing. The work in the kitchen consisted into washing dishes and cooking, but they only got to clean half the dishes or even less, since they had special personnel to do the job, and they did that only twice a day, as they had training in the morning right after breakfast. The cooks liked them, so they even got some snacks when they were 'tired'. To keep up pretences, they took to help in the workshop, fixing things up.

Their good life in the military was proverbial. They used up their time for studying, Roy alchemy and Hughes the law, history and regulations, but they could always use a break.

They were hidden from the bright sun by a tall tree. Hughes was laying on his back with his eyes closed, and Roy was reading aloud some alchemy book with faded covers. "Hey, did you know I can change colours to things with alchemy?" he asked, rising the pencil to his mouth.

"Nope, I don't know shit about alchemy, remember? All I know is from what you read me when you are too bored of talking alone"

"Haha, fuck you" Roy hissed and nudged him with his boot.

"Why, are you tempted?" Maes asked laughing, doubling over. Roy frowned, his already rather long eyes turning into two thick black lines. "Why, what happened with you being so popular with the girls? Are you that desperate?" he retorted smugly.

"Hmph, you'd wish. So, what's with your colour changing?"

"I think I can make things other colours. I've only tried it on some rocks and a few objects, so would you lent me something? Something organic, maybe..."

"Like?"

"Your hair. I'd make it green. No, blue, to match the uniform"

"Nope, no way" Maes said and pulled his glasses higher on his nose.

"Ow, then you want it pink? That would suit you just fine"

"Argh, fuck off, Roy" he groaned and punched his friend in the shoulder, who started pouting. "You're lame, Hughes"

"That's just me"

"ROY!" a storm of long blond hair stopped at their feet, almost falling on the two friends. "Karl?" they asked in unison, seeing the golden haired officer gathering his hair on his back and trying to tie it back in its usual bun.

"You two, I'm in shit. As big shit. Really big shit. Huge!"

"Aham?" Hughes asked. "And we should do... what?"

"Well, I have no idea. That's why I'm here" Karl said. He was a very handsome young man, with fine features, and usually a fast working mind. Usually, mark the inflection. He was an absolute failure when it came to physical aptitudes, and that was the reason why he was assigned for duty in the training grounds. His father, a reputable army man to the core and officer with a large perspective, allowed his son a comfortable life, but he fought to prove his necessity. His area of expertise was communications, and he was damn good at it, thank you. But only at that.

The thing with him, he was madly in love with the Major General Ackroy's secretary, Mathilde Roseburg, whose small bureau was next to her employer, on the first floor. She was on duty that day, as in every day, and he thought he might surprise her throwing a pebble in her window and chat for a while, or just stare at each other. Something romantic, anything would do, in the end.

Obviously, the rock was poorly aimed, and it broke through the window. The General's window.

"And, matters worse-" he continued "- the old man Ackroy was inside"

"What? Wow, you did it this time, Karl" Maes said, chuckling. "The guy already loves you, he will be charmed by your declaration of reciprocation"

"Shut it, Hughes. It's serious! I fucking hit him with a rock! As in the back of the head, you know, and he kind of fainted? I hope he fainted. Shit, I killed my boss. Fuck!"

Duncan came running with Carney in toe. "We've just heard the story from Mathilde, what's the plan?"

"Is he still unconscious?" Roy asked, closing his book and raising from the ground. Duncan nodded. "Yeah, I might have slipped a sleeping pill after Mathilde came to ask for my help. Not much, but it will be fine for an hour or two. Hopefully"

"Great" he nodded. "Let's go, then. Hughes, up!"

"Yeah, yeah, Mom" Maes protested and followed the others. They went up to see what Karl managed to do. Carney ran after the small party that came to inspect the camp, making sure they were busy with other things and not bothering them while finding a way how to hide the incident.

Old man Ackroy, as he was called by everyone around the military grounds, the Eastern trainee camp supervisor and commanding officer, was sprawled on his desk, face buried in papers. His secretary, Mathilde, was pacing around the room, chewing her lower lip. When she saw them enter, she jumped startled. "Damn it, what took you so long?"

Karl hugged her closely. "Go take whatever makeup you have"

Roy drew out a piece of chalk and started doing his job on repairing the window. He took a glass from the table and transmuted it with the reasoning "He doesn't need to drink anyway"

While Roy was taking care of the first issue, Maes was arranging back the desk. It was amazing with how much force the little stone managed to hit the officer, especially coming from the pretty much useless hands of Karl, who lacked the strength. Mathilde ran to her room at the end of the corridor to gather everything that might look like makeup, and Duncan was cleaning the wounds Ackroy got from the impact. The cuts were rather deep, and he acclaimed the blond for his perfect aim. Karl sneered from his place, where he was copying the documents that were destroyed on the impact.

"I'm done with the window. You?" Roy said as he cleaned the chalk off the walls.

"I brought some powder and makeup. And eyeliner? Does it help?" Mathilde said, closing the door. "And there's no one on the corridor, we're safe"

"The crime scene is clean" Hughes retorted.

"I'm not finished yet" Karl said. "Two more signatures, and I'm done. He crumpled the poor pages quite badly"

"And no blood whatsoever" Duncan said and extended his hand to Mathilde. She gave him the makeup, and he looked at Roy, who took it and looked at what he had to do. He slowly covered the bump in the back of the head in powder, almost perfectly, and then turned to the bruise on the forehead. "Damn hard head" Maes hummed.

"How on Earth do we cover this? It's almost purple!" Duncan said, looking critically. "Karl, you sure made it this time"

"It's not my fault! It was an accident!" he defended himself.

"Sweetheart, continue what you were doing, let us do what we can" Mathilde barked back, sending shivers up her boyfriend's spine. He loved her, but damn, she could be frightening.

Hughes drew back and grinned. "Roy, I think our friend here got you the best experiment subject"

Mustang turned to look at the skin and smiled. "You're so right, and I know how we can cover the accident"

Helped by Mathilde, Roy applied the makeup and then played a little with the colours. With alchemy, he changed it into the perfect shade and made it very resistant on the skin. He didn't know too much about that type of alchemy, but it turned out just fine.

Someone knocked lightly on the door and then entered. "How are things looking up?" Carney asked. "The high-stuck asses are starting to make a move, we should get the hell out of here"

Karl rose from his seat and handled Maes the papers he forged. He was fairly skilled at that, and it came in handy, as none of them knew how to extract blood from materials and neat them perfectly. The room looked perfectly in order, and old man Ackroy was still out.

They double-checked everything, and then took their leave. The supervisor shifted a little, showing signs he would wake up, and they got out almost stumbling on each other.

When they found themselves back on the lawn, Karl sighed in contempt. "Guys, you're big days great. Thank you so much"

The group smiled and laughed at their idiocy, and made promises to meet each other at the final stage of the plan. That night, being the last of Crendell and his monkeys at the camp, the dinner was going to be a little more special, the trainees getting to drink a little with their comrades. It was like a celebration that they made it out the inspection. Their commanding officer wasn't that bad after all, he just went with the flow too far.

Major General Ackroy was reputed for his drinking like a dehydrated dying man. He drank at his earnest, his head getting lighter a lot faster than usual, courtesy to Carney messing with the alcohol his father, who owned a bar, sent him to drink with his buddies. After some special distillation, promptly performed by Duncan, who found a new business to explore after the charms selling got busted, they got a liquid that was more potent than anything they had at the base. Mixed with whatever they had serving, the results were excellent.

The supervisor was rosy and laughing, making jokes with everyone. Crendell loosened up a little, but couldn't help noticing a faint smudge of greenish purple on the older officer's forehead. He first put it on a drunken hit, but then saw the expecting eyes darting on the figure. From the corner, Roy, whom he remembered very clearly after their first meet and the next ones, and some other boys he faintly recognised, were scrutinising their commanding officer. One of them, a blond man with a tight bun in the back of his head, patted the brunette and another boy, like he was thanking them, and then left. Roy looked at his friend and smiled at an inside joke, and they subtly high-fived.

Crendell turned his eyes back on Ackroy, who was talking about some old war he fought in, right before he got transferred to the training camp, where he was currently stationed.

The Major smirked. He didn't know what was going in the black haired trainee's mind, and how it linked to the strange colouring on the Major General's forehead, but one thing he was certain of. He really wanted to meet that kid again. He had potential, more than he thought.

He looked forward to his graduation.

...

"Maes! Maes! MAES!" Roy knocked frantically on the door. "Open up!" he rattled again. Hughes opened the door to the small study in the back of the library with a frown. "What is burning, Roy?"

"My imagination. Let me in" he said and pushed his way inside.

"Well, come in, I think?" Hughes sighed and closed the door. He burrowed the keys from a librarian who allowed him to study in silence there.

No more silent studying, he thought grimly.

Roy took a seat in front of the desk and crossed his legs. "So, news. I have a good idea what to do after the graduation next week, and I might do it sooner than I thought"

"Oh, good. Spill it out" Maes said and went to his place.

"You see, you remember what I told you about my teacher?"

"The Bird-something guy?"

"Berthold Hawkeye, yes. I decided what type of alchemy I should master for the exam"

"Aha? Good, that's great! So, what's the thing?" Maes asked curiously and entwined his finger under his chin.

"Fire"

"Fire?"

"Yes, why not? I understand very well the basics of alchemy, and I can transmute without any problems, but I don't feel like this kind of simple skills would do the trick to enrol in the programme. I need something better, more... explosive?"

"And this is pretty much explosive, certainly" Maes snorted. "That's a good idea. So, did you tell your teacher?"

"That's the thing, he is very secretive when it comes to it. I tried suggesting him to teach me a few years ago, but he declined. And I never mentioned it again. Maybe, if he sees me as an enlisted man, he would tell me. After all, it's for a noble cause" Roy said dreamily. He was sure his teacher would teach him all he needed to know. After all, he had experience with alchemy now, and wanted to use it to help humanity.

"Well, good luck with that. I'm sure it will turn out just fine"

"Mhm, thanks. What about you? Do you have any plans for the moment?" Roy asked.

"Well, not much. I'm not in a hurry to die or something, unlike you, so I think I'll try to do something more peaceful, seeing the mess now in the South. I think I'll try and get in with the MPs. My law knowledge might come in handy"

"Oh, really? Nice"

"Yup. I heard girls love uniforms, so you bet I'll get there! Maybe meet some nice lady" Maes winked.

"Some nice lady mad enough to be with you, you mean" Roy chuckled and darted back to avoid being kicked in the leg.

"At least I'll get a nice lady, unlike you. What will you do, set her father on fire?"

"Haha, if I did, you would cover me, because you'll be a big guy in the police"

"Then it's a plan, my friend"

...

"I heard so much praise in your name, and I started to wonder who this amazing talent might be. I never thought it would be you, the trainee with the big mouth from two years ago" Crendell said as he read the briefing on Roy's academic evaluation and reviewed his grades on the practical exams for the national alchemy programme.

"Thank you, Sir, but I believe it's not the case. I'm not as talented as they say" Roy said, swallowing up his pride.

Crendell sneered. "Yes, yes, leave the modesty. I know what I'm seeing. I don't seem to find any problems in the way, as you have highest grades in everything. Well, welcome to the real military, Major Mustang. Momentarily, I shouldn't call you this, but you will receive a proper nickname. I wonder what our Fuhrer will think of your fire alchemy, it sounds interesting"

Roy bowed slightly. "Thank you, Colonel" he said, wondering how did the man manage to jump so many ranks in just two years and a half.

He left the office with a heavy heart, remembering what his teacher told him about the military, about the starved dogs and the sly wolfs. He needed to talk to Riza Hawkeye, but he didn't know where to find her. She allowed him to transcribe everything on her back and after he understood the formulas to burn the evidence tattooed on her skin, she disappeared. He wanted to let her know he succeeded, that he could at last help people like he always dreamed, but he guessed he should wait for that.

He wondered what Hughes was doing. He didn't see him in quite some time, he left after graduation to the Central City, and they haven't spoken since. All he could hope for his friend was to be happy.

He wondered what his aunt would say. She left the Eastern City for the Central too, to open a bar. He was sure she would be proud. If he found an available phone, he would call her. He had so many dreams... He felt like he could fly from all the possibilities.

And then, the war started.

There was no flying, in reality, just mud and blood.

XXXXX

Roy let go of Ed's hand to fish for his keys. He loved the coat he was wearing, but he could sometimes do with smaller pockets. Edward, whistling softly, leaned on a wall. The back-alley of their house was as dark as usual, and, if his vision wasn't that sharp, he would have missed the silhouette that waited at their door.

As Roy approached the said door, the light on top of the frame lit up, revealing a bored person. "Sir, with all due respect, I've been calling you for three hours, and I thought it would be better if I showed up in person"

"Lieutenant?" Roy made incredulously. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, it's Sunday, twenty-four minutes to ten" she replied without looking at her watch. She must have counted the seconds while she waited. Roy pulled loose his scarf and mimicked for her to follow him inside, and narrowed his eyes at Ed. He simply shrugged and muttered something about it not being any of his concern.

Riza gladly accepted the cup of tea she was offered. "Thank you, Sir" she took a sip, all the while looking at Ed impassibly planted against the wall, arms crossed.

"If Edward's presence is hindering your speech, don't worry, he's the last person to sell us out" Roy suggested, noticing the unease in the female officer.

"Yes, pardon me. It's just..." she cleared her throat and started again "I received some unsettling news regarding the annual evaluation of the troops. In attendance, besides our usual faces, we will be having new ones"

"HAH!" Ed made from his corner. "Don't tell me it's your guy, Mustang, it'd be just over the top"

"Excuse me?" Riza said in disbelief.

"Just follow your idea, Lieutenant" Roy waved his hand to further his point.

"Um, yes, I made a list with the names of all the officers that will be observing the procedures. It is here" she produced a paper from her coat and gave it to her commanding officer. He read it carefully and then placed it on the coffee table. Roy frowned and cleared his throat. "Thank you for the information, I will see to it"

"Very well then, Sir. I will take my leave, now, goodnight" Hawkeye said and left, barely masking a yawn. She was tired after the all-nighters she had to pull out recently.

Ed tapped his foot into the floor, rising Roy's attention. The man sighed and pulled out his wallet to collect a note of a hundred cenz and passed it into his waiting hand, the pay for the lost bet. The blond nodded and smirked "Told ya"

Roy chuckled. He watched Ed escalade the stairs to their bedroom, and ran his hand through his hair. During their evening out, he did a briefing of his first interaction with this fellow Crendell, who took a strange liking, almost dangerous, to him. They had been digging each other's graves for some good years now, and the story was too long to tell in only one night. Edward had to wait for the details, and tomorrow was supposed to be a messy day.

His 'old friend' Albert Crendell, about whom he had no idea what he was up to this time, was coming back to Central City, after a long absence in Drachma for diplomatic reasons, and asked for an audience with Roy.

He was so joyed he felt his gut twisting. His stomach was making turns. He was so ecstatic, he felt like throwing up.

Hooray for a new week at work in the greatest institution of them all. Hooray.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da, that's it for now, I hope you enjoyed it. I guess it's kind of confusing, but I'm getting to the main thing. So, thank you so much for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! And happy holidays, everyone!

Till the next time, bye bye!


	18. 18 - Words of peace and retaliation

A/N: 'Morning, so-so-so long time, no see! What should have been a super-fast update turned out to be a super-delayed one, and for that I'm sorry. Life goes on even if you want to write. However, I hope you will like this new chapter, which will be continued with more explaining. Enjoy and thank you for reading! As usual, don't forget to follow, favourite and review.

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 18 - Words of peace and retaliation

"Good morning, my fellow brothers in arms! What a day, what a day!" Roy saluted his subordinates with an eerily wide grin, that kind of face one has after too many drinks and a considerably long day. He made a small reverence in front of Hawkeye, took a sit on the office chair and gathered his hands under the chin, all the time looking like a crime lord planning to kill someone with a mere look. "What a wonderful morning, is it not? Wonderful, I say!"

"Yeah, brilliant...?" Breda made, looking at Hawkeye with a raised eyebrow. "What is wrong with the chief?" he whispered.

"No idea. The Lieutenant didn't get to pick him up this morning, so I can't really tell" Fuery retorted instead and elbowed him in the stomach. "But keep it down, I think it's something to do with the visit today"

"What visit?" Falman asked a little too loud, catching Roy's attention.

"What visit indeed, my good soldier!" Roy pointed his index finger to the older man like he had won an auction. Like he was going to give the lucky buyer his product of choice, he picked up a random paper, searching it as if it was something of most importance. After just a glance, he put it down. He couldn't pretend being an auction seller or anything in general with an advertisement on how to open canned food. Why did they even get those things in a military base? Weren't they supposed to already know how to do that? It was basic training, in a strange way of saying. One needed to know how to open a can if they didn't want to starve on the battlefront.

He cleared his throat, clearly down to greater goods. "Now, first things first" He took a very serious stance.

Breda elbowed Hawkeye. "Is he having a personality crisis now? Man, how did he pass the medical evaluation this time?" he muttered. She shrugged and turned her attention to Roy, who looked like he meant business at last.

"This is how you will mainly see me. You see, this visit is important. Why? Simple. It means my head. Kind of"

"Told ya, bipolar" Breda told Hawkeye, who just rolled her eyes. He asked more amused than concerned "Okay, chief, why is that?"

"Because it also means one of my best pal's, and please do mark my sarcasm, head. So, gentlemen" he turned to look at Riza "and lady, I will need your full cooperation on making me look like a fucking saint"

"Okay?" Breda asked and leaned back on one of the coffee tables. "Chief, what's the game?"

"The 'game' is that one of our visitors wants to decimate our image, especially mine. This will kill all my plans, and we don't want this, now, do we? So, as I was saying, I'm a saint this week. Only this week, of course"

"I thought you were the bad guy who didn't approve of anyone's paid vacation" the red haired officer commented.

"That was last week. And I'm still not approving your vacation, Second Lieutenant"

"Oh, come on, chief!" Breda pouted. He received a glare from Hawkeye and ducked his head under some paperwork, dutifully returning to his job.

"Good morning, long faces!" Edward boomed from the door and closed it behind him with a loud thump that sounded a lot louder than usual, if that was possible. He turned and opened the door to look at what provoked the noise. On the floor, Grumman's secretary was sprawled on her back with an angry red bump on her forehead. "Shit!" he exclaimed and crouched next to her, helping the woman up. "I'm so sorry, excuse me! I didn't mean to! Sorry! Pardon me, shit, I'm very sorry!" She waved her hand like it was nothing, rubbing the other on the graze that was starting to sport new darker colours.

"Hah, no longer long faces" Roy said laughing, mimicking faux-applauses.

"Argh, die already" Ed gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to the secretary, who excused herself for her clumsiness on opening the door. He helped her seat on the couch and gave her a paper-cutter to put over the forehead, the coldness of the metal attenuating the slight swelling.

Breda peeked from behind his pile of work. "That was a really explosive entrance, boss"

"Don't poke him too much, he might blow up" Roy said as he curved another signature on a report and looked at it like it was some work of art. Edward narrowed his eyes at him.

"I thought you wanted to look like a saint, General" Falman commented with a blank expression.

"Mere details" Mustang replied and focused on the dizzy secretary. "So, Lieutenant, how can help you?"

"Oh, yes" she nodded and straightened her skirt. "The Fuhrer has sent me to announce you on the matter of the attendance at the exercise of troops. Here is the list" she said and handled him a paper that said the very same things he had heard about from Riza just the other day. "Ah, thank you, but how is this relevant?" he asked as he noticed some names were circled, and a few of the names he had already seen the previous night weren't there.

She looked around her and then leaned on the desk to whisper in Roy's ear "The Fuhrer wonders how long it takes for the human flesh to burn" and then drummed her fingers on the table top. She saluted and then left the office.

Roy snorted and rubbed his temples. With a great grimace, Ed asked "What was that?"

He smirked. "What, Fullmetal, are you suddenly jealous? Should I bring you a glass of water, some calming pills? Something stronger to go with the mood?"

"Fuck off-" Roy narrowed his eyes, signalling Ed he had crossed the line "-Sir" the blond hissed on the second though. "Lieutenant, do you have anything for me?" Hawkeye nodded and handled him a yellow file, and then he left. Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I still don't think you understand the principle of being a saint, chief" Breda added over Roy's sigh, earning himself an amused grin.

"I said that I want to look like a saint, but nobody said I was one to begin with"

XXXXX

_Ten years ago, after the cease of fire, on the Eastern battlefront_

"Stretcher! Two more here unconscious, take them!"

"We need to amputate his leg, the infection is going to extend!"

"Morphine! Bring me two bottles, now!"

"Stay with me, private, look at me! Hey, look at me, keep your eye open!"

"Hold her still so I can extract the shrapnel! I don't have any belts left, dammit! Nurse! NURSE!"

"Where the hell is my morphine? He's gonna bite his tongue, fucking bring it to me, even a syringe would suffice!"

"Sterilize me a scalpel! I'm putting her into surgery, and prepare me the next one"

"Doctor! We're losing him!"

"Prepare me a table, fast!"

"Forceps!"

"We did it! Put him to ventilation, he should wake up soon"

"Take him away. He's already dead"

Roy blinked, looking at his hands as he walked through the countless makeshift beds and stretchers. Doctors and nurses ran past him, pushing him like dead weight to make their way through the tent. People were screaming, people were crying, but he couldn't hear it. He couldn't feel it. He felt completely numb.

An officer of sorts, more like a bloody mess of meat and bones, was spitting his lungs out in heavy coughs. A nurse was pressing her hands to his neck, trying to stop the haemorrhage. The man, with the once straight and fair lines of the cheek bones painted crimson in the entanglement of cuts and filth, turned his mutilated face to Roy, watching him with lost blood-shot eyes. Those orbs seemed to suddenly focus on him, piercing his soul with a cold stare. Roy blinked at him like he wanted to understand the man, what he was trying to say with those looks, and only too late he realised that the officer wasn't trying to tell him anything. He was only glaring at his uniform and hands. His bloody gloved hands.

The convulsions came to an end. With his eyes unfocused and red, the man died.

In a swift move, Roy left the medical tent and collapsed on top of a remote mound, with his back turned to the world. His breath was coming ragged, too fast, like he had been running for hours. He tried to catch it, to even it, but the blood whispering in his ears was overwhelming his senses, turning him deaf. He pressed his palms on his auricles and closed his eyes, feeling them burn under the heavy eyelids. Maybe if he couldn't see and hear the outer world, it wouldn't see and hear him either. Like a child hiding from the harsh reality. Just like he did when he saw his parent's early graves being dug under their burning house.

A hand touched his shoulder, reminding him of the actual reality, cruelly cold on his thick jacket. "Sir, you are expected in the boardroom" a nameless character told him. Roy's composure suddenly returned to its parameters, like his aunt taught him. 'Roy, no one must see you weak, unless you have to be seen so. Even then, you must show a glimpse of strength. At least for appearances' That's what she said, right? It was just that easy. It had to be.

Only it shouldn't have been that easy.

"I shall be there in a moment, thank you" he replied without looking at the man who informed him. He couldn't look at him. People looked at him with hope, thankfulness for their lives, but what he should see was what he saw in that dying soldier. Hate. Repulse. Anger. Disgust.

He was disgusting.

At least the dying were honest with him.

He went to the main tent, where the strategic meetings were usually held. He couldn't feel his feet moving, he couldn't feel them at all, but he could see how the scenery was quickly changing. Soldiers were saluting him, congratulating him, thanking him for helping them return to their lives in one piece, but he only had eyes for the far distances. He deserved none of that. He deserved nothing after all the death he had caused in the past few years, even in the past week. He didn't deserve to live. He didn't even deserve to die. He wondered if he deserved the lethargy of being in a coma, but that wasn't a very pleasurable thought. It was not for him. He had greater plans than that.

He stepped inside the tent. It was now filled with soldiers going back and forth with mugs of coffee or tea in their hands. They were chatting merrily, talking about hope and plans of a better future. They were saying that the civil war came to an end, that they were finally going home, or most of them at least. They were talking about their great superiors. They were talking about heroes.

They were talking about him.

He was welcomed with many pats on the back, greeted like a precious being, all shining and great. Someone, bring him a white horse to march like the king they thought of him! He wondered why everyone was looking at him like he was some sort of fine specimen meant to end up in a gallery behind thick glass. They were watching him hungrily, like they wanted to eat him alive. Eat him whole.

He shivered when, once again, an officer touched his shoulder. "I thought my ears were deceiving me, but my eyes never do. If it isn't for Major Mustang!" the man said.

Roy turned to look at the one who was so excited to see him. That man held fine features and a pale complex, so similar to his, yet sharper. The face of someone who lived in luxury and took all the arrogance that came with it. A dark brown strand of hair fell into his sharp dark-green eyes, eating at his very soul, searching for something from the core within. The man was smiling so smugly, but there was no mirth in his cold orbs that could scream tales about life and death, contrasting with his outer aspect. Not even his eyebrows lowered, they remained unmoved, perfect in their stillness. There was a deceiving emptiness that could hardly be seen and was even harder to be equalled.

It was so much like his face, really. So young, so pained.

So alive.

So very dead.

"Colonel Crendell, what a pleasure to see you again, Sir" Roy heard himself say. It was the officer from the military police who approved his evaluation for taking part in the national alchemist programme.

How he wished he listened to his teacher and never entered the military. That would have been wiser. But again, he wasn't the wisest of them all.

If only...

"But please, let me offer you a seat, my young hero"

Roy crooked a brow at the Colonel. He barely realised that the rank on his epaulet was one of a Brigadier General. And that man, that soul he had no idea why he hated so much, didn't even had the decency to say anything when he mistaken his rank. Or he didn't give a damn. And that was so much more serious.

"A hero?" Roy asked incredulously, accepting a seat in front of the MP. He heard so many things about this Crendell fellow besides what he managed to find out on his own, he didn't know what to make of him. It seemed like everybody knew something about him, though never enough to actually characterize him. He was an iconic image in the army, more by the name, however, he was rarely seen anywhere. And he had already gotten to see him more than once. A lot more than once, at that.

Perhaps he took a liking to Roy. Who knew, he might get lucky, the guy wasn't that bad to look at, after all. 'That's not funny, idiot' he scolded himself. War does wonders to the mind, that was for sure.

"Yes, Major. A hero" he once again patted his shoulder, his deep green eyes sparkling like they belonged to a dead fish left in the sun. What was with him and all this touching? It was unnerving. He leaned forward, watching Roy's glare with great satisfaction, the glint in his eyes turning dangerous. "Or should I call you Lieutenant Colonel?" he leaned back with a little smirk.

What was this man's problem?!

Roy chuckled, sound coming out like from a broken engine. "You are speaking very highly of me, Sir. And, congratulate you on your promotion"

"Hah, I could have sworn you would notice! Always the observer! Really, it is nothing. I'm merely doing my job. As you are doing yours, and quite remarkably, at that! The Amestrian military is proud of having you on its lines of duty, your contribution in this war has earned you a great name, etcetera, so on with the praise. The Hero of Ishbal, as I've heard! I should be the one to congratulate you, but I don't have any words big enough for your great value"

Roy felt how anger seeped through him. With great effort, he maintained his composure, all the while smiling humbly, like he was supposed to. "I'm not a hero, I did my duty, as you said, Sir" he replied, trying to hide the bile in his mouth.

"No, no. The people said it. Yours did. Your team said you protected them and that's why they are able to go back to their families. Without you, so many more lives would have been lost"

'Or saved' Roy wanted to say, but didn't.

"You are going to be decorated, that is. And promoted, of course. However, now, I have to see to the proceedings in the medical tent. But I would like to have a drink with you later, to discuss about the future, you know? Bright plans, the likes. Now, I will let you rest. You deserve it. You are a great man, Major Mustang, and I'm proud to be the one who allowed you this chance less than three years ago. How the time flies, doesn't it? Flies us everywhere" Crendell ended with another smirk on his face. That man was smiling too much for his own good. He rose to his feet and saluted Roy with a slight bow, then left him alone in the cheery, so damn broken crowd.

People, soldiers he had no idea who they were, some familiar faces, some not, congratulated him, told him things he didn't listen to and didn't care about. He pretended to listen, and did a very good job about it, but in truth, he didn't want to hear anything. Not even three years passed since he signed the papers for his promotion, when he finally became an alchemist of the state, and not even two years passed since he first set foot in Ishbal's decaying territory. A place where its people were dead from the moment Amestris decided to strike.

And now, he was being called a hero. He was no hero, and he didn't like that Brigadier General. When the hell was he actually promoted, how old was he, anyway? He couldn't be that much older than him. He had never heard of anyone so young with such a high rank.

He had a bad feeling about him, in the wide sea of bad feelings. It was that bad.

His head hurt.

...

"Ah, Major! Thank you for honouring my invitation to a drink, even though it is not in the most pleasurable environment, as you can see. Pardon me for that" Albert Crendell made with a wide gesture. Roy looked around the small bar, dimly lit and filled with drunkards. It smelled of cheap booze, nothing like his aunt's club.

He bumped into Crendell the second time that day. The man proved to be more persuasive than he had previously thought, so he accepted a drink only for the principle of drinking on someone else's money. He was so tired of this pretending shit, he wanted to have a talk with Maes and form a plan to gather some intelligence on some higher-ups that could put some more good light on his career, to change this corrupted state, but he was intrigued by this character. He remembered very clearly how they met some good years before, he could still hear some of their conversation. They've talked over a drink or two, but it always felt like they were hunting each other, not conversing. Waiting for the inevitable slip.

"Thank you for the invitation, Sir"

"Don't mention it. What are you having?"

"Whiskey, dry" he replied and seated on the tall barstool. He gathered his hands under his chin and waited for his partner to take a seat as well.

"So, Mustang, mind if I call you that? I'm positively tired of all this formalities, no matter how much I respect them. So, Mustang, how does it feel to be one of us? And please, don't use a 'Sir' on me outside working hours, I'm not a lot older than you are, you know"

How much older? He needed to check on his background. That's one thing he didn't do properly, he noted. Roy took his newly-arrived drink and sipped on it, thinking of an answer. "It feels real. How does it feel to you?"

Crendell put his hands on the bar and leaned back, looking very considerate about the question. "I've never put too much thinking into this... as you say, it's real. And it's as messy as it can get, with all the blood spilling and mud and filth. They never told us that's what we were preparing for. You see, I entered the military for the sole reason of annoying my father, and I advanced the ranks just because I could. I didn't sign up for anything but the thrill of doing something stupid. I guess the joke's on me"

For a second, Crendell looked like he meant what he had just said. Then he laughed. "Who am I toying with, I'm doing it because I like it! Though I'm not as bad as that alchemist with the ponytail... Kimblee, I think that's the name? I'm no sadist, that's the one thing I'm sure of"

"Sadism is interpretable. In a way, we all are" Roy responded, not sure why.

Crendell tilted his head to the side. "Interesting thought. Indeed, there's certain morbidity in calling mass murderers heroes, wouldn't you say?"

"I've never pretended to be a hero, quite the opposite"

"Ah, but you are. You, state alchemists, oh, the grandeur of Amestris! A whole nation is seeing you as such, my friend"

Roy sneered. "We seem to disagree on matters of perception. I believe there is no praise for those who mindlessly follow orders" he said, feeling insulted.

Crendell smirked and leaned forward, his emerald orbs penetrating the absolute darkness in Roy's eyes. "Following orders? I wouldn't call you that, the obeying man, and less to say about mindless... Dear Mister Mustang, that's a dangerous path you are choosing to walk. We both know about how you covered for Major Armstrong's mistakes, and maybe about those really intense stares you were giving to the Fuhrer... ah, that's something one so ambitious should be careful with, but who am I to talk?"

Roy frowned. "Should I take it as a threat?"

"Take it however you want. But I wouldn't take it too lightly. You are crossing deep waters, and you don't know what you are messing with. I, for myself, don't know much about the finality of my work and the purpose of it, and I've been scratching the dirt off classified files and pushing around money and favours for years now... hah, how relative indeed, what we do"

"You are making no sense" Roy said and put down his tumbler.

Again, their eyes met, this time all the amusement gone. "Nonsense, it might be, but it would be sad to see you in an early grave left to rot down there"

"You don't need to watch over me, Crendell" Roy retorted. "I've been watching over myself for long enough to realise good intentions from malicious ones"

"Pf, you talk big! Well, what can I say? Even if you don't want to see me, I have this feeling we will get into each other's feet quite a lot in the future. Wouldn't that be ironic?"

Roy felt dizzy from the bubbling anger he was struggling to suppress. That man, that thing, he had so much nerve, but he was too far away to be harmed in any way by him. He needed to work hard to strike such parasites.

He needed to work hard not to be struck by such parasites.

The said makeshift bar was close to the military camp, and words were carried there easily. A messenger patted Crendell on the shoulder and leaned to whisper in his ear. The man nodded and waved his hand in dismissal. "Ah, damn it, duty seems to call at all times. Well, I'll get going. I will see you around, Mustang" he put some money on the bar and lightly touched Roy's shoulder as he left. He turned swiftly on his heels and said before disappearing in the decor "And, oh, I have to offer my most sincere condolences... for your parents, that is"

Roy could hear the small tumbler cracking in his hand.

XXXXX

Edward entered the mess hall, or 'The Lunching Room' as it was ceremoniously scribbled on the door. He searched the huge chamber for familiar faces, and found a well too familiar black haired one. He allowed a small smile to light up his face, seeing how Roy listened to his advice and remembered eating lunch. When Roy's dark eyes found his, his smile fell.

Damn him.

He took whatever food he found and went to Roy's table with a sour face.

Roy was, obviously, smirking with that superior air of his. "My, my, Fullmetal, finished your assignment already? It must have been easy, so not for your high aptitudes" he said, mimicking for the seat in front of himself. Hawkeye, quietly eating next to him, looked at Ed with pleading eyes, almost asking him not to make a scene. At least for her, he would try not to respond to his lover's persistent bullshit.

"Nope, just took a break. Why, you finished yours? How surprising" Ah, he was supposed not to reply sarcastically. Well...

"Never. But I think we're getting there, who knows?" Roy replied and stirred his probably overly-sweetened coffee. Ed wanted to ask how many coffees he's already had that day, but it didn't do to ask your superior such things. He would yell at him later, when they were in private.

"Hmph, you never finish anything. I heard we will be holding the annual exercise of troops here, in Central. It really surprises me, I thought they would choose another place, somewhere larger? Wider? Whatever"

Roy lowered his eyes, looking at the teaspoon with great interest. "We won't be exactly holding it here, it is in the vicinity of the city, but yes, it will be held here this year. It's not that surprising, really, it was Central's time, there is an order for these things"

"Yeah, I guess" Ed shrugged and started chewing viciously. He didn't enjoy talking great things during his meals, at home they were mainly talking nonsense over food. Sometimes not even that. But they couldn't have their mindless conversations at work, so silence was a better alternative. It was actually refreshing, that much intimacy in the middle of a crowd.

Some random soldier came to their table, a greatly humbled, almost resigned look on his face. "Lieutenant Colonel Sir, it's such an honour meeting you! I heard about what you did, and I wanted to thank you on the behalf of my regiment... I was previously a trainee, I mean..." he nervously scratched his head, his face one big blush. "I mean I was still a trainee when the last regime fell... it didn't fall, but, yeah, that's what I wanted to say. Sir. Thank you" he said and left abruptly, leaving Ed stunned.

"What was that?" he asked and looked at Roy, who had a great smirk plastered on his face.

"Seems you have admires, Fullmetal. If only did they know what an angry runt you are, poor kids" he commented, playing with his fork. "They'd be disappointed" he added, but the pride in his eyes wasn't hidden by anything. He was happy Ed was getting this kind of praises, not those refined and substance-less words one was getting at a promotion, but the nervous and sweaty ones. He deserved the recognition, even if it came while he was eating a muffin and secretly pouring salt in Roy's coffee.

"Damn you, Mustang" Ed mumbled in his cup of tea, barely hiding his smile.

XXXXX

_Seven years before, at the East City Command_

"MAJO- LIEUTENANT COLONEL MUST-AAAAANG! YOU'VE GOT A CALL FROM AN OUTER LINE!"

"Thank you, Miss Carol, I'm coming!" Roy replied to the strawberry-blonde phone operator. She drummed her red painted nails on her neatly arranged desk. She flashed her overly-red lipped smile, showing the pronounced midline that made her look rather dumb, and gestured for him to enter one of the private booths.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang speaking. What can I help you with?" Roy replied, a little confused about who might call him at that late hour of the day.

"Nice recommending, where did you learn to say that? Teach me" the caller replied, voice flat and bored.

"Mirabella, how wonderful to-"

"Shut up, I'm on a secured line. I'll be short about that, dear. There will be some restructuring through the ranks in Central. It's been quite a ruckus up here, but they're getting someone we didn't expect. You should go talk to Maylene, she will know about what"

Maylene, that meaning Hughes. He wondered why he had to talk to him, and that face-to-face. Maybe it was something important going on, from the urgency in the woman's voice. "Okay, then, I'll see to that" he covered both his mouth and the phone receiver so he could make himself audible only to the microphone. That created also a hard breathing, rather sensual effect to what he said. "How did you get a secured line in a place where there are no such things, by the way?"

"Wow, Mustang, I could swear you are in heat or something, take the phone out of your mouth! And it's Miles"

"Ah, he's a keeper, then"

"Fuck you"

"Missed your chance. Maybe I should give you another?"

She snorted. "Okay, lover boy, enough sweet talk over the phone"

"Want to do it face to face?" Roy asked, interrupting her.

"Shut up, or better stick something in your mouth. Long and thick, we know you like it"

"What happened to 'not over the phone'?"

"Nonsense. Okay, I'll talk to you another time. Till then, try not to wet the bed, idiot" she said and made a noise that sounded like she had disconnected the line, without actually hanging up. Knowing well that she didn't, he said before placing the receiver back in its place "Yes, Momma, won't even fantasise about you with your oh-so sensual voice, promise!"

The older of the Armstrong sisters snorted and finally hang up, allowing herself to smile over the other line. Even though they have never been involved anywhere near romantically and their rivalry was a common, ever standing truth, they had their crude jokes. And, with the line that Miss Carol was so nice to secure for Roy's calls, they could say anything they wanted. Almost anything, their vital contacts would still be addressed by their nicknames.

Roy left the booth and smiled to the phone operator, who greeted him. "Did it go well, Majo- sorry, I keep forgetting you were promoted, Mistah Must-wang. Sowwy, I'll twy to keewwp in mwind" she said, skilfully applying red lipstick on her lips while talking.

"At least for the appearances, it would be great to call me that, Miss Carol. And thank you, it went well"

"The old man asked me to tell you to 'Not be too vocal over phone and not dirty the phone booth', by the way"

"Are you sure those were the exact words?"

"Mhm" She promptly nodded at that. Why wouldn't their commanding officer imply that one of his most trusted subordinates wanted to use their private line to jerk off in the middle of the day to someone talking to him, anyway? That was just the old man showing appreciation. He should go buy him some flowers, to let him see what he will lie on his grave when he kicks the bucket, courtesy returned. He saluted her and started to leave when he remembered one thing he needed to tell her.

"Oh, Miss Carol? Please don't scream the next time I get a phone call"

XXXXX

Edward returned to the files room after lunch with a troubled mind. The meal was delightful, he didn't remember what he had eaten, but the sole presence of Roy calmed him to the point he was no longer seeing anything around them. He ghostly heard Hawkeye talking, the rest of the team joining their table and the other soldiers and some administrative clerks chatting to pass the time, but he only had ears and eyes for the man in front of him. He had turned into quite a sap, drooling over feelings and not concrete reality.

But he could see the shaken surface underneath Roy's smiles. And there he came back to what got him so bothered. He wondered what could possibly make Roy so antsy about a routine evaluation of troops, and how he was so set on making a good impression. He had to wonder if it had to do with what they have spoken the previous night, about that man who seemed to be in many of his important memories, and made an appearance in every life changing decision.

A frail idea came to his mind, and he quickly finished sorting what research he was asked to do. It was mainly something boring about some trainees and examining their competences, but it had to be done. After he stashed his work in one of the many drawers in the files room, he opened the door to make sure no one was coming to bother him. He locked the door from the inside and then pressed his hands to one of the walls, creating a fake door.

He opened the door and sealed it back with alchemy. For such information that he wanted, he couldn't possibly look into the low ranking officers files. He had to go check the ones which were classified, the ones in the next room. It was rather hard to obtain a key and even harder to break into the many safes, but he was an alchemist. It seemed that the military knew nothing of basic transmutation.

In the second files room, the more strategic figures of the military had their lives and personal features strictly organised in lockers. It was a huge room with many doors taking to more papers. It was said that there were compromising things about everyone in the military, and that made Ed wonder if anything was written about him. That could wait, though.

After two hours of cracking codes and closing cupboards, he finally found the files for the military police. That's one of the few things he actually remembered from the previous night conversation with Roy. He looked through what he had found, speed searched the papers, but he couldn't find anything on the name 'Crendell'. He had thought that everyone working under this branch had their bios in there, but apparently not everyone.

Well, at least he tried.

He rearranged the mess he made in his haste and then leaved the room to report back to Hawkeye and finish what he had to do for the day. It was a mostly pointless day at work, and he didn't get to find anything about Crendell, so he just gave up at the thought of a steamy bath and some reading in the living room. That could be entertaining.

He made his return to the office only to be stopped midway by a smiling man, a lot taller than him and with predatory eyes. "My, my! Good evening, you must be the legend of the office! If this isn't the famous Fullmetal Alchemist!" the man said extending his hand. Edward raised his brow and shook the offered hand with caution. "Don't worry, I don't bite. My name is Albert Crendell, MP. I was just heading back to your commanding officer, he is with my colleagues, discussing the events following up. Are you perhaps headed the same way?"

Edward looked incredulously at him. He looked positively cheerful and harmless, like the kind of friend that was getting under your skin and you couldn't get him out of there. He actually seemed to be a good person, only if those eyes weren't so empty and cold. Maybe it was their colour making them like that. They weren't of the liveliest green. They looked like dead leaves covered in grime.

"Yes, I actually am?" he asked more than said, all the time not casting even the slightest of glances to Crendell. If he did, he would have noticed the all-knowing look he had plastered on his face.

"Ah, good" he replied. "I haven't been around here in ages, I was afraid I might get lost, how silly of me. I almost did, how fortunate of me to find you to guide me"

"How so?" Ed made, turning his head to him, trying his best to be polite, something he realised a long time ago that he couldn't normally be with those he found unpleasant.

"I've been traveling a lot recently, but it seems I have to be in Central from time to time. Not that I really mind that, but I don't like staying put for too long. I think you can relate to that, can't you, Edward? May I call you that?"

"Yeah, I guess. Everyone calls me that. I mean, that's my name"

"Mhm, that's what I thought too. But how come you remained in the military? I supposed you would go with your brother, learning more about alchemy. Roy really must have done wonders to keep you here" Albert commented, looking at his nails with mild interest.

Edward shivered. Okay, that man knew Roy for a long time, and apparently his lover didn't like him too much, but how were they so familiar? And how did he know of his brother's plans?

"Well... err..."

"Don't worry, I'm not some sort of stalker. I just happen to read tons of reports daily, so I heard about some of your plans. I was just being curious, but there's no need to tell me if it doesn't make you feel comfortable" Again, that big smile.

"No, it just never occurred to me why I stayed. I guess I didn't know what else to do"

"Hah, it sometimes happens to the best of us"

They walked another two corridors in complete silence, until Crendell suddenly commented "The Central sure feels refreshing. I heard there are actually women that didn't get involved with Roy in here, and it's surprising, you know? Rumours say that he might have found someone, he doesn't get out as much as he used to. That, if at all"

Edward stumbled a little at that. "I haven't heard anything like that... he's just buried in work, that's all"

"How noble of him" Crendell said and opened the door to the office, entering with an amused face. Edward stood in the door, and only moved when Hawkeye noticed him and waved her hand to bring her the files he had been researching. He left abruptly after that.

XXXXX

_Seven years ago, at Roy's house in Central City_

"Roy, you are totally blind. Blind, I'm telling you. Blind, so blind! BLIND!"

"Huh? Why?!"

"Did you even look at her? That woman, my friend, is quite the sight" Maes asked, emphasising with the tumbler in his hand. "If I didn't have Gracia and little Elicia, I'd be damned if I didn't go for her! But of course, no one is better than my dearest Gracia and loveliest Elicia! Have you seen-"

"And I won't see, no" Roy cut his friend short. "Also, I'm not dating your secretary, what the hell? Who do you think I am?"

"It was just a suggestion, pretty boy. You know, you should find someone. I mean, okay, you're young, you've got half the country drooling all over you, but you should settle down. It looks better in the record, if you must"

"You are killing me, Maes. And there's no one drooling over me!"

"Are you so sure? You are walking in a pool of it. All the ladies in my office are talking about the 'Eastern stallion'"

"Stallion, really? Your girls have so little imagination"

"Don't blame me, Roy. But, I will be blaming you if you're not-"

"Maes Hughes, for the last time, I'm not going to ask your secretary out, I don't even know her! I've only asked her if I can use a pen from her desk and that was it!"

"That never stopped you before, Roy. Hah, never stopped any of us"

Roy smirked, his vision lost in the sudden reminder of what was before the war started. "I was young and stupid. And you also"

"You are still young and stupid"

"Argh!" Roy gritted his teeth and leaned back on the couch. "Don't you have a family to bother?"

"Nope, not tonight, the girls are at my in-laws"

"So you decided to bother me instead?"

"Are you starting to lose your memory or something? You were the one knocking at my door and pleading for company, so shut it. You should buy a dog or a golden fish, to have someone else to bother besides me. If you take the fish, pick a bigger one, when you get tired of it, we deep-fry it"

"No! Anything but the fish"

"Why, wanna eat the dog?"

"Neah, that's you" Roy made uninterested, getting a snort. He looked at his best friend and remembered all the good times they had spent together, all the sorrow and tears. He missed him and wanted to see him around a lot more often, but the distance wasn't their ally.

Truth be told, Roy wasn't bothered in the slightest that he had company, he felt rather lonely in the big house that he had bought the previous year in case he ever needed to stay in Central. There were rumours he might be transferred to the Central command sometime in the future, but he didn't really care of them, as there were not certain. In the eventuality, he had a house, and, as he was in Central with duty, he could very well stay there.

"By the way, what are doing in Central? You didn't even call to say you were coming, just crashed to my place and dragged me out. It could be considered an act of kidnapping, you know" Maes asked, looking suddenly very serious. "I hope you aren't doing something completely idiotic without first consulting with me or Hawk"

"No, not at all. I didn't get to tell you, but I'm here to discuss the situation of that boy I was telling you about. The one I've seen with Hawkeye. Or, more likely, check some regulations and reports"

"Boy, err... you mean Elric, that kid? Aha! For what? I haven't heard of anyone being arrested or anything"

"No, no, nothing like that! Though, you might find it funny. He actually accepted my proposal, to become a state dog. Seemed desperate enough after I've hit the sensible cord. Well, he didn't really accept it, in the common sense of the word, but he'll come around it, his eyes were practically daring me to try to stop him. Words say that he is recovering from surgery, so I guess he'll be one of us rather soon"

"Surgery... don't tell me the kid was mad enough to replace his limbs that fast?"

"I guess so. I think my speech hit him hard"

Maes looked at him in disbelief. "Are you now corrupting kids? Dammit, Roy, you are morbid, you should find yourself a better hobby. Does he even know what he is signing up for?"

"He had already seen too much for his age, being a puppet of the state is nothing. Aren't we all in a way? And it might be beneficial for both of us. I didn't force him in any way, though. It was his choice entirely. Only a little guiding from me, that's all I did"

"If you say so... but you can't know for sure"

"Call it instinct, a damn good one"

"Aha, okay, I believe you. When will he be taking the examination, if your rumours are right? Or you haven't heard anything on that matter?"

"I can't say... As much as I've heard, the replacement of a single limb can sum up to two years of recovery, sometimes more. So I don't know"

"Huh..." Maes made, scratching his chin. "Well, we will see then, what you have in stash, I mean. I will wait for your briefing when time comes, who knows? Maybe we will get ourselves the grand prize"

"Wouldn't that be great"

Roy refilled their glasses and put the bottle back on the slightly dusty coffee table. He never got to really clean the house, he spent too little time in there anyway. He supposed it was his fourth time coming there. He didn't particularly look forward to his move in that place, but he understood the impending need of advancing. He wanted to take over the country and change it from scratch, start its history anew. Idealistic or not, he had to start from somewhere.

"By the way, Roy, if you were so kind to abduct me here, let me tell you about my new boss. Olivier Armstrong must have told you a little about it"

"Not exactly, she only told me to talk to you. You said something about your boss last time we've spoken, but didn't have a name yet. Who's the lucky guy that will lead your hearts full of justice?"

"Royce-y boy, take a grip on your seat"

Roy frowned. "Cut the chase and just say it. I'll find it anyways, if I look a little into it"

Hughes raised his arms in defence. "Okay, okay, don't shoot me, mister! It's Crendell, he came back in the country"

Roy froze in his place. "When... when the hell did he come back? Why? I thought he was declared persona non-grata, what is he doing back in Amestris?"

"He? The great hero that liberated the country of foreign spies and brought back great intel from the enemy? Neah, it can't be him, sweet toots"

"He what? Why haven't I heard of that? I thought he sold military top secrets like they were fresh bread, now he is the martyr returning home?"

"No martyr if he doesn't die, ya know. Isn't that how it goes?" Hughes suggested.

"That would be a happy outcome"

"Roy, don't try to murder my superiors in your mind! Nor physically, as a matter of fact. Doesn't look good in the records"

"Yeah, sure, that's the problem"

"Always the records, remember that" Maes replied and lifted his glasses higher up the nose. "Anyways, he seems to be deeply related to the incident in the North, the one after Armstrong got her small dictatorship up there"

Roy put the tumbler between his thumbs, recreating in his head the image of the past events. Some time ago, when the Ishbalan War was in course, Olivier Armstrong, a blondie he swore could very well be passed up as a crazed Drachmann that lived all his life in the coldest of the mountain forests and hunted for food with his bare hands, was assigned as the commander of Fort Briggs and promoted to Major General. They met many times before, especially back in the academy years, when she was sent by her training officer back and forth from Central Trainee Camp to the Eastern Base, where he was stationed with Hughes. They've never gotten along since moment one, his witty spirit clashing with her competitive nature whenever they met. She was older than him, not considerably, but back then, when they were young and ignorant, she was something of a crooked crone, a terminal year to a fresh trainee.

Shortly after she was promoted to her actual rank, the Civil War in the East escalated. Sensing the opportunity, Drachma attacked Briggs, presuming it would be an easy catch considering it was commanded by a woman born and raised in a warmer climate and with no experience, and failed miserably at the hand of a mere few, but very well trained soldiers, led by the snow queen. It seemed her nature made her a very good leader, and her subordinates, already used to the harshness of the cold, took her standards well and complied with her orders. In all the mess, despite the great care it was handled with, many vital secrets were sold to all sorts of interested parties. It was a hit to the secret services, and few knew of it, because it was further covered up discreetly. However, in the haste of hiding the informational leaks, one of the persons that were shown to the light was, amongst others, Albert Crendell.

About this certain man, a very fast rank-changing character, could be said precious little. The discovery that he was a spy for the enemy was one thing, but the discovery that he was a spy for the state in its own premises, selling information for information on its accord, and more than that, working for the branch that secured everything that came with the word 'classified' on it, was another. The former second wasn't entirely a problem, but the combination and the fact that he was doing this underhanded work with the addition of giving wrong information to both his state other interested parties, was concerning. Other crimes could be easily said behind closed doors, but they were just another chapter in his file.

Confusing as his situation may sound, Crendell ultimately fled the country and, apparently, after a few years of disappearance, he came back like he was the great hero on the wall for fishing information for Amestris from several states he stole from while he went into hiding. In the end, he proved that he sold intelligence to be caught, to be able to clean his reputation of a good Amestrian officer and be welcomed by other countries and then learn all he could and give the knowledge back to his state. The process, in itself, was pointlessly long and, without a doubt, running in circles to nowhere. And now he took over the commanding position in the secret archive of the military police branch.

Roy rubbed his head absently. "You know, I'm killing Mira if she's got anything to do with that man"

Hughes smacked him over the head. "What the hell are you saying? She has nothing to do with that, she was the first to tell me he came back, summoned by Bradley, apparently"

"I didn't mean it that way! Never mind, tell me what she said about him"

"This and that, pretty much what I've told you already. As far as she could gather, Crendell was brought back in this specific position for a certain reason, but she can't tell which exactly. It has to do with the archives, though. Has to. Probably, he wants to wipe some data and change it to sound how they want it to sound. Who they are, I don't know"

"Seems I will have to make contact with him again... he was positively obsessed with me, I might get him to show me more. It would make a good ally, he knows things he isn't supposed to"

"Yeah, why not. I will see how we get along at the office, it shouldn't be a problem... we know each other since the inspection. Do you remember it, right?" Hughes asked.

"Yeah, of course. I hope he won't smile as much as he used to. Well, let's see what happens. Up until then, bottom up!" Roy said gleefully, downing the entire content of his tumbler after toasting.

He could only hope the price of the alliance he was seeking to make wasn't as great as their other encounters were. He should be careful.

He should call Olivier and talk about all this. It wasn't safe and it wasn't that accurate through his usual ways of talking via official phone lines, but it would have to do.

Why did he even come to Central for? Get this kind of news? At least he might kill some birds with one stone, if he played his cards right.

Or maybe he should get realistic and make plans only after he actually saw the man in front of him, alive and breathing.

Or dead, as a matter of speaking. Only by sight, he could gather some good information, if he stood close enough.

Just not too close, it might sting.

XXXXX

It was such a nice day outside, the weather just a tad warmer than the previous days, but not hot enough to make you sweat during a leisure walk. Edward looked at the many people in the park, cheerfully talking about their lives and commenting the latest gossip. A group of old ladies was discussing about their grandchildren while their husbands were playing chess under the refuge of the tall trees. Children were running around, some were yelled at by their mothers for going too far away from them, lovers were holding hands and looking at each other with shy glances and doe eyes.

It was pathetic really, he thought, he had never seen himself following that line of living. So common, so uninteresting. So little to expect from it. But maybe it was easier and more satisfying, walking hand to hand with some girl you've met in school, then marry, have children, grow old with the great love of your life. He was still too young to have such thoughts, he had all his future in front of him, but he never ceased wondering how it would be to follow that course.

How it would have been to actually go out with his person of choice in the middle of a crowd, on a date or a chance encounter on his way home, kissing them without the fear of being seen and compromised.

He smiled, looking at his feet dangling under the bench he was sitting on. His thoughts were unrealistic. That wasn't for him. He ran around all his adolescence, staying true to his goals, and now he was left with pretty much nothing to look up to.

No, that wasn't true either. He looked up to the day he would cheer on Roy becoming the Fuhrer, like he had always dreamed of. That was then, he was now left only with the side-admiring.

He looked up at the sun, feeling his eyes being burnt by the powerful light. He wanted to believe that he could be happy with Roy, but it was getting dangerous. That man he had just encountered, the one he had first heard about only a few hours ago, was now acting like he knew all about him. Maybe he was only getting paranoid, most likely his lover's obsession of looking behind his back at every corner rubbed off on him, but if they were exposed... he didn't want to think about that. It would be scandalous. He would probably lose his job and rank, not that he really minded that, but Roy would lose his credibility. It would be a pity after everything he has done.

He sighed and started walking by the lake. A few ducks were diving for fish, some others were swimming aimlessly. They were so lucky, with no worries of tomorrow.

He walked around for hours, he couldn't say how many, but what he knew for sure was that the sky was dark.

He should probably head home. Maybe later. He could swear Roy was still at the office, fighting his stupid wars with the shadows. He could do whatever he liked, for all he cared. He wouldn't miss him that much if he didn't show up that night. He saw him daily, anyway.

XXXXX

Roy was, obviously, not at home. But may his soul be damned forever if he didn't wish he was there, even if it would have meant to be questioned and poked all over in Edward's attempts to find news and scandalous information, definitely curious about this ordeal.

That being said, he wasn't home for that, so it had to wait until later. For the moment though, to put it simply, he was staring at his partners across the table, slowly drinking his glass of wine. As slowly as he could. No matter how much he wanted to have his head on the table, snoring in a drunken state, most likely with his mouth half-open, a small pound of drool forming under his cheek. That was positively disgusting, he cringed.

He absolutely hated himself for accepting Crendell's invitation to have a 'business meeting' at a nearby pub with his associates or whatever the people that accompanied him were. As if that could be called a business meeting. Who does even call his colleagues to have a meeting discussing the future of a big event in front of any sort of alcoholic beverage? He wouldn't do that, Roy agreed with the voice in his head.

But to Hell with it, they were so loud and making no sense in what they were saying! He should have drunk more, maybe he would stop hearing those idiots talking about how nice it would be to have a war with whoever they were saying or what a pity it was that Amestris was losing every day great opportunities of showing off its army.

He suddenly realised what they were talking at the table, in plain sight nonetheless. "Pardon me, Major General, but wouldn't it be in greatest good of the nation, as I believe we are all under a solemn duty to the people of Amestris, to not start any conflicts that might affect the population?" Roy interrupted the chatty officer who was implying that idiotic line.

The Major General snorted, amused. His dusty moustache straightened in a bushy line over his lips, clearly hiding a crude smile. "General, but it is in the greatest good of the nation! Think of it this way, if you want. Attacking our enemies shows them we are powerful, and they will be afraid to do anything to the population! Simple, right?"

"Simple?"

"Just as that!" the officer replied, showing a toothy smile. The man was obviously tipsy.

Roy wanted to reply, and most of all, find out whether that's the real voice off the higher uniforms, for if that was so, things were getting bad. The Fuhrer wouldn't allow another war of proportions, but if any of those spineless commanders started acting on their own with such intents, it would be hard to clean up the mess and restore the country's reputation without making it look weak and without masses control.

As if on cue, Crendell leaned forward with one of his warm baseless smiles, encouraging the initiative. "That is a very efficient strategy, Major General Druses! Definitely, it needs some polishing, like any other good idea, but you understand to what I'm getting. You are a smart man, surely" he smirked and nodded, looking like he won a small prise as the other man in question fluttered his ego.

The discussion went on, absolutely impossible and reckless plans being made and the good of the population being swept in and out conversation like it was the stock market, all drowned in alcohol, Crendell's pay, of course. He was feeling rather generous, and such urges were deemed to be set into action, or they would just go by without becoming anything honourable. Honourably drunk, it appeared.

Those being said, the meeting went on for a few hours with no conclusion. Some of the officers made sense in their speeches, promoting reasonable things and sensible solutions for certain problems that occurred or might occur in the future, but the general line of thoughts was fuzzy and impractical as a whole. After all, Crendell was right about calling their outing a business meeting. They usually worked that way, minus the drinks.

With most of them positively drunk, the group retired for the night with the promise of a grandiose exercise of troops to show how mighty they were. For the good of the nation, of course, because it seemed to be the highlight of the day. The great good of a nation that hadn't got a clue that its leaders were a bunch of men so grand on heroism acts when they were drunk. Roy couldn't help wondering if he should add the capital punishment especially for that kind of people when he became Fuhrer, but how would it look to the nation? It might not be for its good, it would lessen its numbers dramatically and who would rule, after that?

That particular conclusion made the raven head snort disapprovingly. What was he getting himself into, leading idiots to gallows?

"You seem amused. I wonder why" a voice said, making him shudder in remembrance. He forgot he left with Crendell in toe, something about discussing matters of importance.

"You seemed rather pleased by the officers. Isn't your job as a military police officer to persecute what they were implying, the mass-destruction and crime?"

"Crimes of war never matter when you are the winner" the other replied glumly. Roy turned his head at him with his eyebrow raised. Crendell turned to look him in the eye, without stopping walking, back straight as a cardboard. "Never took you as a censurer of sorts. Trying to reinstate dictatorship already?" he said, the joking tone returning with little finesse.

Only if it wasn't so damn forward. It was obvious Roy was a prime candidate for the next leader, but the way Crendell said it, it sounded more like a threat. "Perhaps it is better not to take me in any way whatsoever"

"You're being obtuse, Mustang. This isn't a talk about books, it is reality. The world is filled with idiots, just as our honourable ranks. They were from the finance department, from the strategic, security and so many others military domains. And in high positions. But a fool is easy to be pleased, and we can do it by simply saying what they like to hear. Do you not agree with me, Mustang?"

"This kind of people sometimes prove to be fools, yes, but masses of them are dangerous"

"That's where you get in, my lad. Because the one who is dangerous is you. It's your problem to get rid of them, because you see what happens when they think, as little as they do"

Roy looked at his feet pacing forward like they weren't his. He knew what he was suggesting. He knew very well. But how could he...

"Ah, seems we went rather far, I should get going to the hotel I'm staying at. I would have asked you to stay and drink something in a better environment, but I think you have other duties to attend to. Please, don't let me interrupt your routine. I look forward to our meeting tomorrow, this time for real talking, not chatting" He offered his hand and Roy shook it clinically.

"Indeed, see you tomorrow at the office. Have a good night" Roy said mechanically, attempting to break his arm free from the firm grip the MP had on his hand.

"You as well. Oh, and rest assured, they will never guess what hit them" Crendell smiled and released his hand like it was a piece of something filthy that one drops when he realises the foul texture.

Still a little shaken, he realises he almost got home. He let himself be led, and he was led back home. Where only a selected few were supposed to know that he lived. Seemed like Crendell was self-selected to be one of them.

He looked behind his back for a few moments before he finally opened the door to his house, letting himself in with a soft thump. He stepped on a garbage bag, left in the middle of the hallway. "ED! DID YOU LEAVE THE TRASH HERE? I'M TAKING IT OUT!" he shouted in case he wasn't heard.

That would have been something if there was someone to actually hear him. He found the house surprisingly devoid of any human presence. Probably, it was for the best, he could get some good rest before he again had to pretend like he was some sort of angel sent to enlighten the path. That's what you call a bad day, really.

He settled on the couch with some brandy in his hand, reading to make time pass easier in an attempt to grow himself tired. Despite feeling like he could slip right through the bed if he laid on it, his mind was reeling. He read an entire theory on the substance of existing, turning the pages without even looking at the words written on them. All too fast, he realised he had finished the book without knowing. At least if he knew what that story was about, or was it a science study? What did he read?!

What downed on him was that he was still alone. It was already very late, it was well past four in the morning, but Ed still didn't show up. Maybe he slept at his old place, it could be a possibility, and not one to pass down. But that could be the indication that he did something wrong or was about to do it, for his lover had that particular habit of leaving him alone for the night when he messed something up.

Well, that was too bad. He had other problems that mattered more, if this had any meaning at all to him. That's how he was supposed to be, wasn't he? Cold and ruthless, without any care but for himself. That was him.

But that could wait for after Edward came back. He started to miss him, if only for a little bit. After that, he could conquer the world whenever he wanted.

It would still be there tomorrow for him to take over. It always was.

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. I hope you liked it a little bit, and thank you very much for reading! Don't forget to follow, favourite and review, and see you next time with a new chapter, in which things will actually happen.

Till then, bye-bye!


	19. 19 - Nothing here to conquer

A/N: 'Morning, so, new chapter :) I hope you will enjoy it, and thank you very much for reading and sticking with me! Don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite, it really helps.

Without further ado, on with the story...

* * *

Chapter 19 – Nothing here to conquer

It was a morning like any other for Jean Havoc. He started his day strolling through the central park, nonchalantly smoking his first cigarette of the day, accompanied by a cup of coffee in one hand, leaning on his hardwood cane with the other, more for the comfort and aspect than the practicality of having a cane for support. The caffeine ran strong through his veins, however, not as strong as usual, as he had only drank two coffees up until that hour, and his watch, a rather pricey one for your next-door convenience shop owner, mind you, showed it wasn't even six in the morning. Until a more human hour to be awake, he would drink some more, he decided. It was a habit he had picked up during his long campaigns, where the only thing that was a little more drinkable than the muddy water was the equally muddy chicory, which, despite its supposed taste similar to coffee's, didn't taste anything like it.

They all tasted like mud.

He took a seat on one of the sideway benches, savouring the thick smoke he inhaled. The taste tickled his senses, mixing with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that filled the air. It was a life worth living, and he was damn well going to enjoy it. It was the beginning of a good day after a long night of little sleep.

He smiled and looked around, noticing a silhouette laid on the grass, next to a tree. He crooked his brow, trying to comprehend why there was someone right there at that hour, probably asleep. "I can't believe it... what's going on with this city? Though the boss said that homeless were supposed to be hidden somewhere else until they were relocated..."

He threw the cigarette on the walkway and stepped on it, crushing the bud. Frowning, he leaned forward and raised his cane, pushing the sleeping form with its tip. The man stirred awake and, with blinking eyes, he mumbled "What the hell..."

"Edward?" Jean gasped, looking confused.

"Ha... Havoc?! Wha... what the hell are you doing here?"

"Chief... I should be the one asking why you are here... did, umm... did something happen?"

"Hm? No, I'm... what am I doing here?" Edward asked and rose to his feet, trying to make the best of his surroundings.

"Shouldn't I ask you this, chief?" Jean made, brows arching high on his forehead. "Are you alright, Ed? Something's up? Are you okay? Hurt anywhere, ma-" he added, palming Edward to the sides to see if he had any injures.

"Hey! Stop that! I'm not hurt! Just... ah, shit" Elric cursed under his breath. "Okay, what hour is it?"

"Five forty-nine"

"In the evening?" Ed said with concern in his voice. Maybe the sun set a little earlier than usual.

"Morning, obviously"

"Fuck!" the younger man cursed and rose to his feet with a startle.

"Whoa, easy there, kid! Come with me, let's talk somewhere more private, shall we? Come"

Ed looked at Jean a little sceptically, but followed him nonetheless. They walked to Havoc's shop, and went down into the cellar. The basement was dark and smelled of gunpowder. When the lights were lit, the alchemist's jaw dropped dramatically.

"Are you planning to start a war?"

Jean looked at the weaponry filled walls, big guns shining in the electric light. "Ask your boss, these are a mere part of his provisions. Mine are in the next rooms, some of my finest arms. Wanna see?" he asked as he took out his lighter for the cigarette in his mouth. That until Ed stopped him.

"For the love of anything you want, don't smoke next to all this gun powder!"

"Right back at you, chief" Havoc said disinterested, putting the cigarette back into its package. Perhaps it was better not to smoke there, not that he minded it. Nothing exploded yet, so why should it blow up now?

"Want a drink?" he asked, putting the cigarette packet back in his pocket.

Ed shook his head. "No, thank you"

"As you wish. I'll drink what remained of my coffee. Just tell me if you want anything, you'd be surprised of what you can find here" Havoc said and took a sip of his now cold coffee. He put it on a small table next to the wall, and slowly seated on one of the chairs, his knees slightly shaky under him.

"Hah, still a bit hard of feet. At least I can walk, right? The last mission took its toll on my poor legs" Jean commented and raised his sky-blue eyes to Ed. "Why don't you take a seat, Edward? There's nothing to bite you here"

"Um? Oh, thanks" the alchemist replied and seated in front of the former officer, who brightly smiled at him. He let his eyes wonder to the man's feet, which were slowly building up the muscle they lost after the accident, but still looking rather thin. "Hey, Fullmetal, don't tell me you are feeling bad for me?"

"Me? No, not at all"

"But?"

"I'm just happy you got your mobility back, that's all. I didn't know you had it that bad, even now. I never saw you that cane, ever. I guess it's hard to walk around with it, but I'm not one to talk when it comes to that, really."

"Two crooked men, hm? Yeah, I'm okay, I'm almost completely recovered. It was a great effort to start walking again after being immobilised for so long, but I think you can relate. And last winter wasn't that nice for them dandies, the doc almost shot me dead for straining them like that. Anyway, I'm sure ya don't want to talk about feet, do ya now?"

"No, not really"

"Then tell me, what were you doing in the park, sleeping like a beggar? Problems at home? Next time, just call me, I always have a bed to spare for friends in need"

"You know, I'm not in a position where I have to report to you" Ed avoided the question with his eyes lowered to the floor. Not that he had an answer to that, he didn't know either why he preferred to sleep in a park rather than at home.

Havoc snorted. "Might have worked if you were my superior, lad, but you ain't. I'm not in the military anymore. I'm your ally, Ed, please don't throw me away, we're friends, right? As long as you will share the boss' interests, I will try to be of any help to you"

"I thought we were friends" Ed made, looking in Jean's eyes.

"We are, but I have my boss to serve. I'm loyal to the General first and foremost. Sorry"

"No need to be. About that, I really need some insides on a matter, Lieu-" the younger man gulped, remembering the other was no longer in service. "Sorry, Havoc. Could you help me with something?"

"Name it"

"Can you tell me anything about this man that just came? General Crendell, I mean. It seems he is quite the bother to Roy, and I can't find anything on him"

"You wouldn't be the first who can't find anything on him. I heard he is in the city for the exercise, but who knows. He has been a part of the secret services for decades. I'm telling you, it will end badly, in a way or another. Hope it won't be too major, maybe it's just me worrying. Though I highly doubt it" Jean said, rubbing his chin.

"What do you mean?"

"He's here for a reason, and I'm still searching for it, me and the team. I can't tell you much about him, but one thing I ask of you – stay close to the General. Very close. We can't be next to him all the time, we wouldn't be able to do what we have to do, his specific orders. That's why you were in the park, you argued with him and you wanted to clean your mind, right?"

"How do you-"

"Know?" Havoc leaned forward to take a better look at Ed's golden orbs. "My friend, I know you. We all do, the team back at the office and me. You are one of us now, and you are closer to the source than anyone, I think you are starting to understand how we operate. You have to trust us, and please, don't let the General get into trouble, yes? Argue all you want, but stay with him. He needs you more than you think, believe me"

"What trouble are we talking about?" Edward asked and fixed his eyes somewhere in the distance, unfocused. Havoc leaned back on the backrest.

"Lots of it. There has been placed a price on his head, and the attacks to his persona have become more violent than ever. I have my sources, if you don't believe me. They will most likely try to assassinate the General one of these days, the threats have become really straight forward"

Edward made a face. He didn't know any of that. "Hm? Who?"

"Whoever draws the gun out first"

XXXXX

_The previous night, in one of Havoc's warehouses_

Roy entered the deposit with curiosity. After waiting for a few hours for Edward to show up home, Havoc called him to come to one of his family's many warehouses, a place that was used for anything but depositing goods, saying he had something for him. He wondered what that could be, but he had a hunch that he wouldn't like it one bit.

"'Evening, boss" Havoc greeted, conjured by a cloud of smoke. "My guest and I have been waiting, right, little rascal? We have"

Jean poked at a heavily tied up man with blood on his once creamy white shirt. The man raised his blood-shot eyes to Roy, and started speaking. "H-aay, Gen'wal Mashtang" he struggled to say, some blood dripping from his mouth. He formed a grimace that was supposed to look like a smile, showing two teeth missing and one broken in half. "Came thu thee wha' ya dog did hewe, ya did?"

Havoc grabbed his cane and smacked it across the man's stomach, making him twitch. "What did we talk about this, old champ? Want fewer teeth or something?"

Roy crossed his arms and tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe. He looked at the blood on the floor with little interest, as it was a common image for him. He kind of got sick of it, he has been beating mercenaries and other interested parties at an alarming pace for the past months or so. Lucky him that the Fuhrer gave his permission to beat anyone he didn't like with no consequences whatsoever. He was starting to think that the old man liked to hear his stories of how he hid the corpses or how mutilated they were. What a sick mind.

"What's with this one, Havoc?" he asked.

"The usual. This one and his friends, if you wanna meet them, you can find them in the back, though they won't be of any help, sorry to say that, were nicely talking in their little private place about you" Jean said, inhaling smoke from his cigarette.

"And?"

"Seems we had hired goons among the ranks" Roy looked closer at the bloodied face, moving it to the side. "I will cut you the chase, boss. He worked at the phones, Miss Carol and Fuery noticed someone messing with the lines. They were right, he was their leader of sorts. But I can't get out of him who hired them, him and his friends. He's a rather tough guy, this one"

"Where did you say his friends are?"

"Let's say they are in the back, Sir"

"And he didn't say anything?"

"I told him we will continue when you came, I like keeping my word. We just talked up until now" Havoc replied, playing with the cane and slowly moving it closer to the prisoner's ear, touching his cheek from time to time with the side. The man shivered, and said with bite in his voice "Ya won't geth anything" he muttered. He could sense the danger in Roy's eyes, but he wanted to look like he could outstand them. Maybe he thought he would become lucky if he showed some nerve.

"And what did they want to do?" Roy continued.

Jean turned his eyes to his former commander. "It seems his part was to intercept your calls. Miss Carol, as I was saying, caught him toying with the lines, and placing recorders on those which were connected to your office. Fuery is already working on securing all your lines and clearing them. As much as I could gather, your house was in the process of being bugged as well by his friends, this time. Miss Carol sent her guys from communications to verify. Oh, and they also planned on messing with the high old man too" he added, referring to Grumman.

"Aha, communications this time? Wonderful. What will be next, I wonder? Messing with the pipes in my bathroom? That'd be absolutely horrid. Such cruel acts of war"

"Don't give ideas to the scoundrels" Jean joked, getting closer to the beaten man's head with the end of the cane.

"Hah, funny. But I don't see why we are wasting time here"

"Just wanted to show you our newly gained friends, that is all. The Fuhrer will want a detailed report, I guess. Anyway, I suspect the one who gave them the job is only an intermediate, so we don't have much need of this one. I will clean up as soon as you leave" Havoc said as he crushed the finished cigarette. Smiling at the beaten man, he asked "And where would you like to sleep tonight? Pick up a lake, you will meet your friends, them fishes, in no time"

At that, the prisoner tried to move his arms, but the rope that restrained them by the armrest held him down. "I cwan tell ya! I cwan!"

"Can you?" Roy asked. He wanted to laugh, where did people find such incompetent mercenaries? "Then tell" he said in a voice one would use when reasoning with a petulant child.

"We were contactweed bah a Shingeese, he wath intewested in your cawls. We awe hiwed helps, if ya know what I mean"

"Definitely" Roy replied with a blank face. He was getting sick of this. "But you have no name?"

"Know whewe ta find 'im!"

"Not interested" Mustang said. "Anything else? Havoc, that was what you called me for?" he added, fishing for his gloves, more for the show than the usage. He no longer needed transmutation circles after he had seen the Truth.

Jean shrugged, lighting another cigarette. "Boss, you know what the old man said – burn, not else, and I don't have enough gas in my lighter. Orders are orders, sorry. You've asked me to act accordingly, so that's what I did"

The mercenary started to shake, visibly scared. It didn't smell good, as the saying goes. Roy watched the man plead for mercy and promise that he would help, but he was absolutely tired of the likes of him. They start crying and begging for their life, and then they stab you like you didn't save their low lives. And, as Jean said, they had orders to eliminate anyone who might pose a threat, no matter how small for that stage.

Without looking, Roy snapped his fingers and went by the burning figure, not even hearing the screams. Havoc showed him to the back of the deposit, where three corpses were laying in a small pool of blood. The General ignited the bodies as well, and waited for the flesh to burn away and transform into charcoal. Together, they gathered the ashes and the alchemist transmuted the matter into chalk, then gave it to the former officer to throw it away where all their mess went.

Jean always promised their prisoners they would be sleeping with the fishes after they finish with them, so they would all go to the bottom of a lake. Promises were made to be kept, no matter the interpretation.

They said their goodbyes, and then parted ways. Roy walked with his hands in his pockets, tired and disgusted. He wanted this masquerade to stop already, and he wanted to know where Edward was. He hoped he was alright.

Thinking of his lover, he frowned. If Ed only knew what he was doing in his spare time...

Well, he was already walking on corpses, what could a few more do? As Hughes always said, only the records matter, so, as long as no one knew, then there was no problem.

He started laughing, remembering his friend.

'Remember, Roy, always the records'

Yes, always the records.

XXXXX

The morning came like a thief for Roy. He washed his face at a neck breaking pace, hurrying to leave for work. After he got home, he emerged himself into planning all night long, and forgot that he required sleep to function. Sometime in the morning, he fell asleep with the head on the big desk in the study, and woke up with a startle. When he realised it was nearly the hour he and the convoy decided to meet, time almost stopped as he moved like he was on fire. After he dressed faster than he ever did and checked if he looked like he slept all night and took two hours to arrange, he ran out of the house, and closed the door as fast as his hands allowed.

As he hailed the first cab that he found in his way, he wondered why Hawkeye didn't show up at his door to drive him, like she did every single morning. It was the first time she didn't show up and didn't announce beforehand that she couldn't come. Perhaps she heard from Havoc what they did, and she wanted to let him sleep.

'Yeah, sure she did' he thought sarcastically. He would have to talk to her later that day.

After he paid for the short trip and left a tip to the driver, he walked into the Central building like he owned the place, saluting all the people he encountered with either a smile or a tip of his head, trying to look like he wasn't running to his office. Once he got in front of it, he nearly broke the door.

"Good morning, General!" Crendell said from the visitor's chair in front of Roy's desk, Hawkeye looking uncomfortable at his side. "You should take it easier on the door, it looks like it won't hold up for too long if you keep it up with its abuse"

Roy's pupils dilated almost invisible, as his eyes were too dark to show any change. He wanted to shout, but despite all that, he replied with a smile "Good morning to you too, General! Lieutenant" he looked at Riza and slightly tipped his head as she saluted him with the proper military etiquette.

"I hope you have slept well, we have many things to discuss today. Your assistant was very kind to tell me some organisational aspects, I'm sure we will have an excellent collaboration. Let's make our Fuhrer proud, shall we?"

Roy looked at the man incredulously. "Yes, let's. Let us make the nation proud"

XXXXX

_The previous day_

Alex Louis Armstrong descended from the train with a great crack. The small ladder of the wagon wasn't made to hold all his mass, and it was protesting under his heavy steps. He straightened his back to stretch his muscles after the long journey from Central to Resembool, and picked up the small suitcase he was carrying.

People were curiously watching him, some recognising him from their previous encounter a few years before, but without putting two and two together. They looked funnily at the mountain of a man, some young ladies commenting on his muscular body and some older ones noticing how distinguished he looked while some others gossiped about what his business there was. You rarely got such well-dressed people in the small city - the people around there weren't ones to care about such trivialities.

The Major didn't pay too much attention to the sideways glances, and politely saluted those who came in his way. He waved for a carriage that took him to the bottom of the great hill, where he started going up by foot.

He stopped in front of Rockbells' automail shop, where Alphonse Elric was vividly talking with some children in the front yard.

"So, this is the base for transmutation. We wi-" he stopped when he saw Armstrong waving at him with a smile. "Kids, we will continue tomorrow. Don't forget to look over the book that I've told you about, and learn by heart what it says before we start our practice, yes? Off you go!" he said to the five children that were carefully listening to every word he said. They ran away after they saluted the newcomer with their crystalline voices.

"Major! What a surprise! Great to see you again!" Al welcomed Armstrong with a beaming smile and opened arms. They shook hands like two old friends.

"Likewise, young man, likewise. How's it going?"

"Great, just fine around here. You should have called, we would have prepared something! Mind if I ask you what you are doing all the way in Resembool, Major? Do you have any official business or did you come to visit us?"

"Both, really. May I come inside?" Alex asked with a little smile and a hand on Al's back.

The younger man's eyes widened, freezing in place. "Did something hap- I mean, come inside, please" he offered and opened the door for the officer.

Winry got out of her workroom to see what all that noise was about. When she saw Armstrong with a rather solemn face, her mouth flew open. She rubbed her oily hands on her working pants and hurried to the man. "Major, did something happen? Did Al do anything? Oh my, is Ed alright?" she required in one breath. "Tell me he's okay. Alphonse?" she asked her husband, visibly shaken.

"Yes, miss, don't worry! Edward Elric is just fine in the capital. I merely came to see if you are alright, and deliver a message from the General. My regards to you Misses Rockbell! You're looking great, ma'am" he exaggeratedly bowed to see the petite old granny.

"Hello, officer, what brings you here?"

"Right, Granny! No offence meant, Major, it's great to see you, you know" Winry rapidly retorted.

"None taken, Misses Elric, none taken. May I-"

"You may, but later. It's almost dinner time, so you have to stay over for dinner. Talking is for the full-bellies, not the empty ones. Come on lads, show our guest some respect! Youngsters these days, they know nothing about manners"

The four of them ate in peace, conversing about alchemy, mechanics and agriculture over the delicious dinner. Armstrong almost wondered if he was sent all the way to Resembool only to taste the great food he found in the household, but then he remembered his mission.

"Thank you very much for the hospitality, I had a great time. But I must admit, I wasn't sent here for this"

"Obviously" Granny said with expecting eyes. "Now, that you are well fed, you may talk"

"You would be one after my mother's like, Misses Rockbell" Armstrong chuckled. "I was sent by the General to ask you, Alphonse Elric, to come in the capital"

"Hm? Me? Why?" Al asked, rising a brow. "Is there anything wrong?"

"There will be an exercise of troops very soon, and he demands for your help, if you care to offer it"

Winry said over Al's reply "Help? Consisting in...?"

"That, Misses Elric, I'm afraid I can't tell. This is what the General asked me to say to you"

"And he couldn't just call? Or Ed, as a matter of fact. What are they up to this time? What does Mustang want with Al?" Winry didn't bother to stop asking, even though the message for her not to interfere was as clear as water to a sensible ear. Perhaps the clashing of metal made her deaf to finesse.

"I do not know. That is what I was asked to say, and that's what I said. I'm sorry to be of such little help"

Alphonse leaned on an elbow. "I see... So I'm requested to come in Central. What happens if I don't accept?"

Alex sighed. "That doesn't happen. I was asked to be persuasive"

The alchemist nodded. "Then you were. When are we leaving, Major?"

Winry opened her mouth to say something, but she immediately closed it. If Roy sent someone all the way here to bring her husband to Central, then it had to be something important. She wasn't going to be some thick skulled woman and interfere any further.

"Tonight, if you would be so kind. There is a train in one hour and a half from now"

"Then it sounds to me like some packing is in order. I'm helping you" Winry offered and left the table in a hurry to pack her husband's things. Al followed her.

Together with the Major, Granny cleaned the table. An hour later, the two men were at the door, saying their goodbyes. In another twenty minutes, they were at the station. They took the last train to Central, and seated on one of the benches in the first class compartment, Mustang's courtesy.

Back at the shop, Winry looked blankly at the window. "What is it?" her grandmother asked, coming by her side.

"You know, Granny, I think there's something that will go wrong, don't know why. I mean, I don't want to sound paranoid, but what if Ed is danger?"

"Maybe that's why the General sent for Al. They will know what to do. Don't forget they are three of the best alchemists in the country"

"Yeah... I know they are, but you know, I can't help but be afraid... those brothers have been getting into trouble since they were little, the fact that Mustang's into this too doesn't make it easier at all. He has a taste for getting everyone killed, you know what I mean? I respect him, don't get me wrong, but I care more for Al and Ed than anything else, Granny"

"We will have to trust them, that's all there is. I guess you will see them in action, hm?" the old woman suggested to her granddaughter, who looked at her with sparkling eyes.

"Gods hold me back, yes, I will see them"

XXXXX

Roy starred at the many numbers on the paper in front of him. There were so many numbers... a few letters, here and there, a few words, that is. Oh, he was starting to understand... he knew some of the words, yes, they were in amestrian...

"What do you think, General Mustang?" the economic agent asked with hope in his eyes.

"Yes... there will be made a throughout examination of the accuracy of the data, and it will be analysed in accordance with the norms. You will be shortly noticed of the results" he replied as formally as he could without showing he didn't understand a thing on that sheet.

"Thank you, Sir"

"Dismissed" Roy said, smiling kindly to the man.

"General" the agent saluted and left the office. Roy, in all his exasperation, bumped his forehead on the desk.

"Sir... I don't think you should be hitting yourself, your face will get red if you keep doing that" Hawkeye said without looking at him. She was sorting some reports for Roy to look over.

Mustang sighed heavily. "Please remind me why, Lieutenant, why did that scum keep you in the office until the hour I was supposed to arrive here, told me something about weather and how well he slept, and I swear it had double meanings, do you think he suspects anything? And then pushed all the economics on me! I don't even understand what the hell this is! Percentage of... what on Earth is that?!"

Hawkeye took a clinical pose. "Sign these, Sir, and give me those, please"

"You're a life saver, you know, Lieutenant?" he replied, looking at her with puppy eyes that could make any heart melt. All but Riza's heart, but the effort was well meant.

"Don't forget, General – you are supposed to look like a saint this week, not me. You have to be careful, not paranoid. Sign these" she threatened, and he grabbed his pen and hastily started scanning the reports, one by one, reading and signing at record speed.

Later that afternoon, Roy met with the commanding officers present in Central to discuss the plans for the great scheme. It was sounding rather nice, the parade in itself and then the common training, but the optimistic line of thoughts stopped when the state alchemists were mentioned.

Talking about that, where the hell was Edward? He was supposed to be there already, for the next meeting, with all the alchemists. Where was he, now?

The meeting was soon wrapped up and it was decided to be recommenced the next day, at the same hour, in order to present results as soon as possible to the Fuhrer, who, as far as Roy suspected, was playing chess with his secretary and pretending to work and complaining how exhausted he felt due to the amount of assignments he had to accomplish and how the day was too short for all the great things he wanted to do, and so on, so on. He knew the old man Grumman like the back of his hand, and when it came to complaining, he was a master.

Roy exited the room like a thief, trying to be as invisible as possible. He managed to get out without being seen, and ran to the Fuhrer's private phones. There, Miss Carol, newly promoted to work at the communications in Central, smiled at him and began her loud salute. She closed her mouth immediately as she noticed his hurry, and secured him a line.

He dialled his home phone and waited, hoping Ed might be there to answer. After a few moments, he hung up, knowing he won't get any answers.

"Mister Mustang?" Miss Carol whispered to him, waving her hand.

"Yes?" he whispered back, wondering why he had to keep his voice down.

"There's a call for you from an outer line. Major Armstrong. Oh, and I have cleaned the lines, all good" she said smiling, showing her bleached teeth underneath the thick layer of red lipstick.

After the Major confirmed that he and Alphonse Elric safely arrived in the capital, Roy went to the Fuhrer to announce him of the results of his last night's rendezvous. The old man didn't linger too much on the finale of the encounter, and even encouraged his initiative. That made Roy question the way of things, but, who was him to discuss orders? They were made to be followed.

He hurried back to the meeting room, as the time was running short. In his way to there, he bumped with all his force into Edward, who stumbled back.

"Where the hell have you been?!" he said furiously to the younger man, who was fuming mad as well.

"Like it's your problem where the hell I go!"

Roy snapped, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "It is my problem, as your commanding officer, Fullmetal, and I swear I'm court- martialing you if you don't get to the meeting room right now! Do you have any idea how many problems you could have caused?! Out of my sight, now!"

"Bastard, court martial me all you want, that's all you are capable of doing anyway!" Edward retorted angrily as he brushed past him in a bruising pace. Roy went in the opposite direction, and they met back in the meeting room, Edward already there and waiting for whatever he had to come to the office for, Major Armstrong by his side shining like a beam of light.

XXXXX

Al put the things he brought with him in the hotel room's closet, and took a seat on the bed. He stretched tiredly. He wasn't a great fan of travelling by train after all those years of continuously using it while he couldn't feel anything in his body of armour. He looked around the room, it was lightly furnished and it had a nice touch to it, making the higher price for renting worth its value. Mustang has paid for everything, that's what Major Armstrong told him, and he could rest assured that he didn't have to worry for anything. It was for his bother to come all the way there, he said. So be it, maybe he would get to see his brother after he talked with Roy that evening. That, if he was allowed to, he didn't really know what was going on.

He hoped everything was alright, and that Ed didn't do anything too dangerous that could put his life in danger. Maybe being with Roy made him take it easier, though he highly doubted that the General would have called him in such short notice to Central if any of them wasn't going to do something majorly stupid. It hasn't been that long since he left the city anyway, and that really made him wonder what his brother hid from him this time.

All he could do was to hope for the best.

XXXXX

At the Central Military Headquarters, the atmosphere was dense. Really dense. Roy wondered if something intangible could have this characteristic, but it seemed it could, at that specific moment. An officer he had seen the previous evening, apparently an inspector of the national program, a lot more sober than he last saw him, took it upon himself to preside the meeting and tell the alchemists how they had to show their worth to the people that would take part to the gathering of troops. That being said, Mustang suspected the man didn't know what alchemy really meant, because putting some of the most destructive forms of transmutations in one place was as suicidal as one could get. He would have to have a talk with his fellow alchemists and explain them that they weren't supposed to do anything grandiose, just to be there or something like that. He didn't want another mass destruction in the city after all the hard work of reconstructing it after the Promised Day. He could live without that.

Edward half-listened to what was being discussed. He didn't care that much about those formalities and stupid parades, he wondered if he had to take part to that overblown exercise. He should talk to Roy about that, maybe he could sneak out in the middle of the programme. Maybe they won't recognise him if he dyed his hair or something. Hah, like that was possible, you couldn't miss the great Fullmetal alchemist, everybody knew him.

He cast a sideways glance to Roy, who was looking blankly at the one who was talking. He stood as straight as a cardboard, not moving a muscle, looking imposing and disciplined. His uniform cupped his forms perfectly, and his face was as pale as a corpse's, making him look like your designated workaholic. His black eyes lost their focus, but only someone who knew all his gesturers could notice that.

Their eyes met halfway, and the brunette's gaze softened a bit. Ed's lips formed a tiny smile, and they looked at each other for a few stolen moments, until they broke the little intimacy and returned to listening to the other officers' aberrations.

At the end of the meeting, Roy stood back and changed some words with one of the alchemists, so Edward went forward. He almost jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his back.

"My, Fullmetal! I haven't seen you the entire day, have you just arrived?"

"Oh, General Crendell" Ed made with a tell-tale grimace. "What joy" he muttered.

"Aren't you excited to see me, hm" Albert commented. "Rumours say you will be making the speech this year"

"Huh?" the blond sheepishly hummed. "Since when?"

"Since this morning. No worries, I hear you have an effect over the masses"

"How come it isn't made by someone else? My rank isn't that high, there are many others that could speak instead of me"

"Are you disobeying your orders, Lieutenant Colonel?"

How Edward loved ranks and titles. He barely recognised this was his distinction. "No, I am not...?"

Crendell chuckled and patted his back. "Don't be so tense, I'm joking. I'm sure you will be inspirational to the young cadets and the people of the country, they are respecting you, you are their hero. Don't worry. Or maybe you should talk to the General? To Roy, I mean. Oh my, here he is, our great Flame Alchemist!" the black haired man gestured over to Roy, who was obliviously passing by.

Roy's eyes darkened, but his lips curved into a fake smile. "Ah, General, there you were! I thought you ran away from us" he said sarcastically, reminding the older officer about his disappearance a few years before. Crendell formed an equally fake smile, biting the inside of his cheek at the meek remark. Touché.

"I was discussing with our alchemist, he is a delightful person, he is. Though I imagined you've told him about his attributions at the exercise"

Roy continued to smile. "I was about to, but we were both busy up until the meeting"

"Oh, is that so?" Albert said surprised. "I didn't see our Edward anywhere today, I thought he was somewhere else or taking a break, I didn't know he was busy. My bad"

Roy clenched his teeth. Fucking bastard, he had no idea what he was insinuating. "Yes, he was researching as he always does, right, Fullmetal?"

Ed nodded. "Yep, I just prefer to do it outdoors or in a library, it's a lot quitter" he lied.

"Mhm" Crendell hummed, deciding to let the matter pass. "I see. Then, I shall see you around, Edward Elric" He tipped his head to the side. "General" he saluted Roy and went to talk to his assistant, who was waiting for him a few feet away.

"Fucking creep" Ed said under his breath, making Roy chuckle. "No shit" he retorted. "See you later, I have something to do"

"Sure thing, General. Later" Ed said and went after Crendell to see what he was up to, or at least see if he could find anything about what was going on in the institution. He had that feeling he was missing something.

As for Roy, he returned to his office to see what Hawkeye prepared for him to do. He could barely contain his excitement.

XXXXX

When he returned home, Roy found Edward reading on the couch. He had to clean his throat five times to make his presence known to the blond, as he was too lost in his lecture.

"Mmmmm, are you home?"

"Um, yeah? As you can see, I am" Roy replied and seated on one of the armchairs. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Where have you been last night, Edward?"

"Hm?" Ed raised his head from the report he was reading. "Nowhere"

"Nowhere. I'm not stupid, Fullmetal, should I remind you that?"

"And since when do I have to explain myself to you, Mustang?" the younger man retorted, trying to avoid the question. "I had some things to sort out, my business exclusively"

"Ed, don't be like that, I want you to be safe, that's all. I only wanted to know if you were alright, you worried me when you didn't come home" And to make sure they didn't accidentally crossed paths when he returned to their shared threshold, smelling like he went to a barbeque. 'That's a disgusting way of putting it' he thought and took a deep breath. Things were getting savage, he couldn't wait to finish all that masquerade.

"Now really" Ed made a face. "You worry for me, when you are being harassed by that creep! Even Havoc asked me to make sure you don't get into trouble with that guy!"

"Havoc? You went to see him?" Did Ed know anything?

"Nay, I ran into him and we talked for a while. And I really want to know what's with that man of yours, Crendell, I don't understand what's his problem that he mentions your name every time he talk to me. He's rather taken with you, Roy"

Roy crooked his brow, trying to sound surprised. Like he didn't notice the man's unhealthy obsession. "Is he?" He could rest easy, his lover didn't know what they did the previous night, he would have exploded if he had any notion.

"Mhm, he certainly is. I've been trying to find something about him, and guess what – there's nothing!"

"Calm down, Ed, he's a harmless fly. I can handle him just fine" Roy assured him with a smile.

"Like hell you are. You are even faker than usual, what is that? Are you trying to become some plastic doll with that smile of yours?" Ed argued with a great yawn.

Roy sighed and rose to his feet. "We just have a certain history, that's all. Stop worrying. Speaking of what you have to do, I will write your speech, you will only have to read it. It's not that much of a deal, you only need to smile and act like a distinguished citizen. I'm going to read in the study, you should go and sleep. You look really tired" he lowered to Ed's level and kissed his forehead.

"You're right. I'm going to bed. Good night, Roy, don't stay up too late. See you tomorrow" the blond replied and kissed Roy's cheek between two yawns. He went upstairs and took a loud shower, making sure he was being heard, and then closed the bedroom's door a little harder than it was needed. He waited for an hour and then opened the door slowly, without making any sounds.

He tiptoed to the study, which he found resoundingly empty. "Reading, hm? My ass you went reading, Mustang" he mumbled.

Judging by the stale smell of cologne, he guessed Roy didn't leave too long before. He dressed as fast as he could and went to the door. He searched the pockets of Roy's uniform jacket, and found a little note with a writing he didn't recognise. There was the number of a room, the word 'Delivered' and a sum of money that he supposed had to be paid.

Judging by the big number of the room, he only had three hotels where Roy could have gone. There had to be a hotel, right? Otherwise, why would there be a room number? He picked the one that was the most far away and went into its direction with the determination of a cheated wife.

XXXXX

Albert Crendell was walking down the street humming. His day wasn't what he expected, but, all in all, it has been rather satisfying. He was very curious about what made Fullmetal be on the verge all the time, and he very much admired the way Roy hardened over the years. He was becoming more and more the leader he always wanted to be. He could try to fool anyone that he had no wishes to take over the military, but he couldn't fool him.

He smiled at the reminder of one of their previous encounters. Roy was so young and hot-headed, even if it wasn't that long ago, when he and his late subordinate, Hughes, were fumbling through secret reports and were stealing the recordings of the higher ranked officers' meetings. No one knew about that, but again, that was his job – to know what he wasn't supposed to.

The MP was intrigued how no one killed him so far, he should have been hanged ages ago, since the first time he betrayed the state, when he was only a trainee... yes, he sold some reports about the strategy concerning the war in the West, with Creta, and then he promised to the buyers that he would provide them with more information if he was allowed to work undercover for them. He then sold all he learnt to Amestris, earning himself a promotion immediately after he graduated, being allowed to work with secrets for the hard work gathering information. He had been doing this commerce, as he called it, for many years, and up until it had worked. He was a General in the police branch, what else could he wish for?

He remembered how combative Roy had been when he was asked directly about his possible heresy against the state. This way, Crendell's image in the boy's eyes deteriorated, and made him suspicious of the man's actions. This way, Roy started to leave things uncovered for Crendell to just pick them up and learn more and more about him. It was like a disease for him, digging up secrets, and, from the moment he first met Mustang, he wanted to know more and more about him. He still had doubts about what really happened to his family, about his plans, about his relationships, and that made his brain race and his blood boil in excitement. He wanted to know more, and, in his own twisted way, he actually wanted to help.

In his latest journey to Aerugo, he heard someone talking about how Roy has become a threat, and that his expansive nature was becoming a danger for the states around Amestris. The alliance with Xing made everyone restless, and the incoming railways that were going to connect the two states was posing a real issue to the integrity of the neighbour nations' borders. Not very well liked by the foreign politics, Mustang was becoming one of the favourite targets.

To be frank, he would be saddened if something happened to Roy. He enjoyed their permanent chase, how he sent his assistant to bullshit him, how he received reports from that crazed woman in the mountains, how his network worked. He still hasn't deciphered it, and he was really set on doing that.

And now, the discovery of something new made him even more attentive – the Elric boy. How exactly was him and his brother connected to the General?

As if someone from up above heard him, he saw Edward getting out of one of the houses on the street he was currently on. The alchemist locked the door with a key which he put into the left pocket of his black leather pants, and stuffed both his hands into the pockets of his red jacket. He looked around to see on what street he was on.

'Oh my, that's Mustang's house' Albert noticed. 'He has a key to his place? Interesting'

He followed Edward from the shadows for a while, that until he saw him stop in front of one of the biggest hotels in the area they walked to. There, he was surprised to see Roy get out of the place as the blond hid behind some bushes and watched the man walk past him. Then, the boy looked up at one of the rooms that had its lights on and jumped from his hiding place, running as fast as his feet could take him.

Crendell waited a little more, and then entered the hotel with a smile. It was late in the night and it was dark outside, but the receptionist was still awake, arranging some papers on his desk.

"Good evening, Sir. It is late, would you like a room for the night?" the man from the desk asked.

Albert nodded. "Yes, if you would be so kind. I had a problem with my car so I decided to stop here. Do you know a mechanic, as a matter of fact?"

"Yes, I can recommend you someone. One person, for the night?"

"Yes, please"

"Alright, complete this register and sign at the end, please" the employee asked of him as he looked for a single-room key.

Crendell pushed the register closer to the edge of the counter, making it fall and ultimately close. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Don't worry, I can find the page, thank you" he said as he picked the book from the floor. He scanned the pages until he found something that caught his eye.

'Alphonse Elric, hm? Oh my'

He wrote a random name that came to him and invented a signature. He left the receptionist a generous tip for not asking for any identification.

He might have found something even more interesting. He would wait for Roy's next move, as he could swear he went to see Edward's brother, and the blond state alchemist didn't know that his sibling was in town, most likely.

Wonderful.

XXXXX

Roy returned home shortly after he left Al's room. He suggested to the younger Elric to register with his real name at the hotel, as his stay was supposed to be only slightly undercover. Alphonse complied without further questions, though he didn't really understand what game the General was playing. In all sense of honesty, Roy didn't know either.

He found Ed sleeping in their shared bed, occupying some considerable three quarters of the mattress. He slowly put his head on his pillow, which was only slightly invaded by his lover's hand. He closed his eyes after he placed a small kiss on the unaware fingers that cupped his pillow, and then closed his eyes, letting himself dose off.

Edward stood wide awake by his side, his mind racing. Why did Roy walk away in the middle of the night, without telling him why? Did he have some kind of meeting? Why now? Why didn't he tell him?

Should he be afraid? Should he doubt Roy? Was he being cheated? That was stupid, wasn't it?

It was stupid.

He should sleep before the ideas in his head took the best of him. Roy would never do something like that, would he?

No, he would not.

XXXXX

The Central City was in a continuous race with itself as the great annual exercise of troops was being organised. By all means, the event was a parade of military forces for everyone to see, a training of all the departments of the army to show how grandiose Amestris' protectors were.

That year, it had to be even bigger than usual. Amestris was becoming even more powerful, and more democratic. They had to show to the population that they were prepared for anything, but also that they were capable of making something beautiful out of their capacities. In Roy's opinion, it was only dust, but what could he do but obey what he was being told?

For the past few days, he made sure that everything was in perfect order. He barely saw Ed those days, but he had work to do, as much as he wished he didn't have anything to do. That was his job.

He could see how suspicious his lover has become, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was more concerned about what his sources said about a possible threat to their lives, but the rumour wasn't that sure. Yeah, people were trying to kill him, but haven't they always? He decided that he should be more careful, and having Alphonse close really helped. The boy knew more than anyone about alchemy, and, with his determination to do anything for his brother, Ed was more than safe in any possible scenario.

Only if he knew what exactly was coming for him, he would know what to specifically do. But he didn't, they were only rumours. Rumours had the tendency to be unreliable, but extremely dangerous if they weren't handled with care.

Crendell watched his every move, as much as he watched his. They were like cats and mice, doing anything not to be caught by the other in the middle of who knew what. From the outside, they looked positively dumb, like two old goons that had a conflict in their younger years and were still holding the grudge after so many years. Obviously, nobody dared to comment, they were both Generals and held great influence. And the Fuhrer, who also noticed their competition of sorts, decided to leave them eat each other. He trusted his protégé to do the right thing.

At least things went smoothly in the preparations, if one overlooked the constant race of solving the problems faster than it was normal. It was like a small battlefront between the Central Command, represented by Mustang, and the Military Police, with Crendell on top. They were anything but subtle to those who knew how politics worked.

Not that anyone cared about their little war.

XXXXX

'Ah! What a beautiful time to be alive' Winry thought as she inhaled the heavy smoke of the train's engine. She grabbed her suitcase and made her way out of the station, and to the hotel where she had reserved a room. It was impossibly hard to find a room with only two days before the greatest manifestation of the state, where so many souls took part and gazed at the uniforms and colourful marches.

Right. She remembered why she came to Central. The next day was going to be this parade everyone was so excited about, and she had to find why her husband was called on such a short notice by Mustang. Right. Without being seen.

Right.

She checked in her room and then went to buy something to eat. She was starving. She made her way to the closest convenience store, where, to her surprise, found Riza Hawkeye buying some groceries.

"Lieutenant! How do you do?"

Riza looked strangely at her, until she recognised the person that was talking to her. "Winry? What are you doing in Central?"

Winry chuckled. "Seeing how my two boys are trying to get themselves killed, just the usual" she replied as she picked up what she bought and got out of the store with Hawkeye following her.

"Hm? Is Alphonse here too?" the female officer asked surprised. Winry crooked her brows at that. "You didn't know?"

"No? No one told me, was I supposed to know?"

"I really don't know. I though you knew. Major Armstrong came at the beginning of the week to see us, and he said that the General was requesting him here for something, that's all I know"

Hawkeye didn't reply for a while, thinking about what she had just found out. "Do you know anything else about this matter?"

Winry shook her head. "All I know is that Al is here and the General called for him. That's all"

Hawkeye hummed. "I see. Where did you leave your things? Are they at a hotel?"

"Yeah, the one beside the West park"

"Good. I will come and see you there, I think I know what they are planning... try not to be seen by anyone you know, please"

The girl nodded with a smile. "Aye, Lieutenant. Will do"

XXXXX

Roy woke up with his head on the desk, for what felt like the millionth time. In the past week, he had developed this habit of falling asleep everywhere he could, at all the possible moments.

What made him jump was the fact that the desk on which he had fallen asleep was in his office. He jumped from his place and called for Hawkeye, who appeared with a stoic face and a parade uniform, neatly pressed in plastic foil.

"You have an hour, Sir" she said and left the uniform on his desk.

"Did I tell you I owe you my life?"

"Not enough times, Sir. Dress" she commanded and then left the office.

He ran to the washroom and shaved with a razor he left some time ago in one of his drawers, and combed his hair, slicking it back. He ran back to his office and dressed, all the time looking at the clock. Why hasn't anybody told him that in less than two hours, he was supposed to be on a podium and delivering a speech?!

He walked out of his office with all the necessary pomp. He found Hawkeye on the hallway, also dressed in parade uniform, and they both went to the courtyard, where everything looked so different. Many cars were waiting for the officers to go the chosen place of the exercise, as the Headquarters' domains were too small for all of the troops invited and the attendants.

Roy stepped into his car, where he found Olivier Armstrong waiting with her arms crossed. "What, thought I wouldn't come? Well, you would have been right, but they didn't allow me not to" she said as a salute.

"Oh. Too bad" he said and closed the car's door behind him.

XXXXX

Alphonse made his way through the crowd that was beginning to form in the great fields next to the capital. He did as he was told by Roy - he blended into the crowd, as close as possible to the podium where the speeches would be made. He tried to recognise the people, some of them looked familiar, some not, but he ultimately saw Edward. He was clad in the parade uniform, something he didn't think he would ever see, and was talking to a tall man with many stars. A General, had to be. He didn't know that man.

He slowly approached him, but remained covered. As far as he knew, he was supposed to intervene if something went wrong, whatever that was.

The exercise began with pomp and lots of noise, and it went perfectly. Grumman, who made it his reason in life not to take part at the annual troop gathering, stood proudly in front of the army. He didn't have to do anything, so his life goal was, once again, fulfilled, if only slightly.

The crowd started to dissipate, as people regrouped in smaller formations and set their picnics. As much as the army tried to make this exercise solemn, it was impossible to stop the equally annual picnic that took place after the parade.

The officers and the other soldiers also took part at the picnic, as it was a great opportunity for conversing. As it was, they were cheerfully talking, fanfare music barely covering the horrid noise the crowd was making.

For Edward, it was a time to feel violated. Everyone poked at him, asking about his achievements and praising him. From time to time, Roy made his way to him, fishing him out the hands of his admirers and talking him out of whatever he had said and might have offended someone.

As for Crendell, he insinuated himself behind them like a ghost, and talked to everyone in his way. It had been so long since anybody saw him in public, and all the military knew about him, even civilians have heard about him, how he had saved the country's secrets, or whatever story he had sold to the masses. He enjoyed the attention, but all the while, he looked around like he was the hunter being hunted by someone else.

In his tendency to stalk the persons of his interest, he learnt how it felt to be watched. And he felt watched. He looked behind himself every now and then, trying to find who was that caused him such grief, but he couldn't find who that was. With that, he decided to get closer to Roy, who was currently drinking a glass of champagne with a delegate from Xing.

"What a wonderful success this exercise was" the delegate said when he saw Crendell approach them. "The great Empire of Xing is proud to have such allies"

"Likewise, Mister Fey" Crendell said with a smile. "Thank you for coming all the way here, I know it has been a long journey. But, with the help of General Mustang, I believe it will be considerably shortened"

"Indeed" Mister Fey said with a bow. "The Empire is indebted to Amestris for its great help for building the railways. General Mustang, you are a fine gentleman and a fine dignitary"

"Thank you, Mister Fey, but I'm merely thinking of the best of our alliance. I'm happy to be part of the progress and make it happen"

After a few more pleasantries, Crendell excused himself to find something to drink. Maybe he had merely imagined those eyes that were burning him in the back of his head, perhaps he has been looking behind his back for too long.

Indeed, he must have imagined things.

He saw a waiter holding a tray with some drinks on it. That is, the military still had its signature pride - even if the officers were mixing with the commoners, they at least had the dignity to be properly served with an indecent amount of alcohol.

As he walked to the well-dressed waiter, realisation struck him hard, a feral instinct building up in his mind. He turned around with a wide spin, pulled out a hidden pistol from the breast of his jacket and aimed for Fey's head.

Then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

A/N: That's it for this chapter. See you with another chapter, thought I am sorry it will not be that soon. Let's say you will experience some suspense, sorry for that. I hope you enjoyed reading, thank you for the support! Don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite!

PS: It will take some time until I finish the next chapter, I am experiencing some (many) problems right now, but I will continue this story. Stick with me a little longer, will you? Thank you for the support!

Till the next time :)


End file.
